Worlds Connected: LittleFoot's new friends
by JFalcon
Summary: Book 1: It all started when Littlefoot made a new friend, Stomp. Littlefoot soon finds himself led out to the Mysterious beyond by a strange flyer. Two worlds will colide in Worlds Connected, an Age of Reptiles CROSS
1. Enter Mysterious Beyond

Disclaimer: I do not own Age of Reptiles or The Land Before Time.  
  
  
A/N: Am I the only one who noticed that in LBT 1 the dinosaurs had a certain way of talking, holding themselves up, and this over all majestic sense to them, that they sorely lack in the song filled lightly colored, light headed sequels?  
  
Littlefoot ran around in circles trying to figure out what to do next. He was waiting for Ducky, and Spike to show up. Cera and Petrie were late too.  
"Hello Littlefoot!" Ducky cried. Ducky was a big mouth, and Spike was a spike tail.  
"Ducky! Spike!" Littlefoot ran up to them.  
"Where is Cera?" Ducky asked.  
"She isn't here. Neither is Petrie." Littlefoot reported. "But they won't mind if we start now!"  
"Nope! Nope!" Ducky said. "Uh . . . What are we going to do with out Cera and Petrie?"  
Littlefoot had to think about that for a moment. He really had no idea, they always included Cera and Petrie in their games, and some how the games had evolved to the point where they could not be played with out them!  
"I know!" Littlefoot said. "While were waiting, we can play hide and look! (Hide and seek) And when we finish our first game, Cera and Petrie will be here!"  
"Yep yep yep!" Ducky said. "And maybe we will find them to!"  
Littlefoot closed his eyes, and faced a tree full of tree stars, while Ducky and Spike went to hide. "One . . . Two . . . Three . . . Four . . . Five . . . Six . . . Seven . . ." He counted slowly so that Spike would have enough time to hide. It always took him a while to catch on.  
"Eight . . . Nine . . . Ten! Ready or not! Here I come!" He shouted.  
  
Grandpa watched Littlefoot play with his friends. "Life in the Great Valley is carefree for them." He thought. "Children, they have no idea how lucky they are to be so young." He laughed softly to himself, but being as large a long neck he was, his soft laugh, was a low rumble.  
  
Littlefoot moved through the grass, he found one of his friends!  
"I found you!" He cried, jumping out of the grass to the small dinosaur. But the dinosaur wasn't one of his friends.  
"Who are you!" The small dinosaur demanded.  
"I'm Littlefoot." Littlefoot said. "I'm sorry, I thought you were one of my friends."  
"Oh yeah?" The dinosaur, a long neck, said. "Well, I'm not, I don't even know you!"  
"I'm sorry." Littlefoot said. "But you don't have to get so mad!" He added, defending himself.  
"Sorry." The long neck said. "My name is Stomp, because . . . well, I like to stomp." He said. "I was just looking for my mama, and I can't find her."  
"Well, my friends and I can help you!" Littlefoot said. "Were really good at finding things!"  
"Really?" Stomp asked. "You'd do that for me?"  
"Sure!" Littlefoot said. "But uh . . . first we have to find my friends."  
"Are they long necks like us?" Stomp asked.  
"No, they're a . . . well, a three horn, a spike tail, a big mouth, and a flyer."  
"A flyer?" Stomp asked. "Wow! No wonder your good at finding things!"  
"Yeah." Littlefoot said. "C'mon!"  
"Where do you think your going baby?"  
Littlefoot bumped into something big and gray.  
"Hi Hip." Littlefoot said wearily. For a little while Hip had become a nice guy, unfortunately it didn't take long for him to return to his bully state. His two friends had become nice guys permanently, but Hip was a different story.  
"Well?" Hip asked. "Where do you think your going?"  
"To find my friends." Littlefoot said. "So we can go look for his mom."  
"Oh yeah?" Hip said. A look of pure evil came onto his face. "Well, if she's a stupid long neck like you two, and I know she is, than I bet . . ." Hip paused for affect, then shouted "She was eaten by the sharp tooth!" Hip began to laugh.  
"Don't listen to him." Littlefoot said, leading Stomp away from Hip.  
"But what if he's right?" Stomp asked.  
"Don't worry, were in the great valley." Littlefoot said. "See that big wall of rocks? No sharp teeth can get into the valley from the Mysterious Beyond. Your mama will be fine."  
"Are you sure?" Stomp asked. "Mama brought me here a few nights ago, if we could get in, why can't sharp teeth?"  
Well, Littlefoot had never given that serious thought. "Uh . . . I . . . only plant eaters can get through, sharp teeth are to stupid." Little foot said finally.  
"Are you sure?" Stomp asked.  
"Of course! And your mama wont be in any danger, now lets look for my friends."  
  
It had taken a while to find spike, as usual, he'd lost himself in the tall grass, and it'd taken Petrie's help to find him.  
But now they were all assembled. Stomp included.  
"What kind of name is Stomp anyway?" Cera asked.  
"Cera!" Littlefoot said scolding.  
"It's my name." Stomp said. He was about Littlefoot's size, and color, but rather than a dark brown strip on his back like Littlefoot's, Stomp had dark brown spots. "Papa named me Stomp because I'd always stomp on my food before I ate it."  
"Where is papa?" Petrie asked.  
"Uh . . . well he died."  
"Oh." Petrie said.  
"How?" Cera asked.  
"Sh-sh-sharp tooth got him!" Stomp whined. "And now there gonna get mama!"  
"That's' impossible." Cera said. "Sharp teeth can't get into the valley."  
"Well, what if they followed mama and me?" Stomp asked.  
"Then you and your mother would have to be pretty stupid not to notice." Cera said simply.  
"Cera!" Littlefoot protested.  
"That is not nice Cera, not nice at all." Ducky said.  
"But it's true!" Cera said.  
"Cera right." Petrie said. "Stupid not to notice sharp tooth, we notice sharp tooth when we come to great valley!"  
Stomp just whimpered.  
Littlefoot frowned. "Uh, hey, it's okay, I'll take you to my grandpa, he knows all the long necks in the valley, if your mother left the valley, he'd know."  
"Okay." Stomp sniffed.  
"C'mon! Lets go!" Cera said. Petrie flew off ahead.  
  
  
Littlefoot approached his grandpa. "Grandpa!" He called out. The large Dinosaur's head slowly moved down towards him. Littlefoot's grandpa was aging, and none to slowly. "Grandpa." He said. "This is my new friend, Stomp."  
His grandpa smiled. "Nice to meet you Stomp. I am Littlefoot's grandpa."  
"Uh, nice to meet you sir." Stomp said. "But, uh, well . . . have you seen my mother?"  
"What was her name?" Grandpa asked.  
"Uh . . . well . . . mama."  
Grandpa smiled. "Just a moment." He said. He looked towards Grandma.   
  
Littlefoot's grandfather was terribly worried. He'd seen a long neck sneak out to the Mysterious Beyond this morning, but it hadn't looked like a female, it'd looked like a male. "Dear, Were there any new females at the lake today?"  
"Yes, one."  
"What was she like?"  
"She was a small one, Maya's child, finally old enough to walk to the lake herself. She was so adorable."  
"I mean adults."  
"Oh . . . no. Not one."  
"Oh dear."  
"Yes?"  
"No, I meant, oh "dear"." Grandpa said.  
"Why?"  
"There is a young one, about Littlefoot's age, I've never seen him before, so I'd assume his mother was a new comer but if you didn't see her . . ."  
"Well . . ." Grandma said slowly. "I could check around."  
"There's a heard of three horns!" Cera's father shouted. "Coming into the valley!"  
Grandpa ran out to the entrance, perhaps one of the three horns would know about Stomp's mother.  
When he got there, with Littlefoot and his friends in tow, the new three horns were indeed entering the valley. But they were not three horns like Cera's father.  
They had large rectangular shields on their heads, with smaller horns all around. (Chasmosaurus) Their leader was youthful. He had two sharp horns on top, and a long powerful horn below those.  
"Greetings." Grandpa said. "Welcome to the great valley!"  
"I am Sharp Nose." The leader said. "We are glad to be here. To finally be safe from the sharp teeth."  
"Indeed." Grandpa said. "I am sure you are. By any chance, did you see a female of my kind?" Grandpa asked. "She would possibly be in the Mysterious Beyond . . . I mean, the place you came from."  
"No." Sharp nose said. "The only other dinosaur we saw was a sharp tooth with a long jaw, and dark green scales. But . . . his belly was fat, and his mouth was covered in blood."  
"Mama!" Stomp cried.  
"It's all right." Grandma assumed the baby long neck. "I am sure it wasn't your mama."  
Weather it was or wasn't, We'll have to investigate." Cera's father said. "Who's with me?" A number of three horns, and spike tails decided they were. Grandpa knew, he'd have to see.  
"I will go as well."  
"As will I." Said Sharp Nose. "I am sorry that my first accomplishment in this valley was to cause a child to suffer, I must do something to remedy that."  
"Good." Cera's father said. "But I'm in charge."  
"Of course." Sharp Nose said.  
  
Littlefoot stood next to Stomp, who was now crying, despite Ducky, Spike and Petrie trying to comfort him.  
"Y'know Stomp," Littlefoot said. "I lost my mother when I was young. She got beaten by sharp tooth. I know what your going through, but I bet your mama is just fine."  
"I want to go with you!" Stomp cried out to Cera's father.  
"You'll just get in our way!" He snapped.  
"Besides." Grandpa said. "The Mysterious Beyond is no place for youngsters. You stay here where it's safe."  
"But . . . okay sir." Stomp said softly.  
"It's okay Stomp." Littlefoot said. "We can play a game while there gone."  
"Or." Cera interrupted. "Or we could follow them into the Mysterious Beyond."  
"And then?" Asked Littlefoot. "Get lost?" He offered.  
"Well . . . I guess that isn't a very good idea . . ."  
"But you right!" Petrie protested. "We go to Mysterious Beyond, we follow grown ups we no get lost!"  
"Hey! Yeah!" Littlefoot said. Wondering why he hadn't thought of it.  
"Okay!" Ducky said. "We are going to the Mysterious Beyond! Yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep!"  
  
  
MYSTERIOUS BEYOND  
  
Littlefoot followed his grandfather, careful not to get to close, but also not to fall to far behind.  
"It is scary out here. It is." Ducky said.  
"M-me thinking we go back now." Petrie said.  
"No!" Stomp said. "I have to find my mama!"  
"Help!" A female voice said.  
Littlefoot turned towards the source of the voice. It was young, but not a child's. It was a whole new voice to Littlefoot.  
"Is that your mama?" Cera asked Stomp.  
"No." Stomp said.  
"Who ever it is, we'd better help her." Littlefoot said.  
"What if she a sharp tooth?" Petrie asked.  
"Well, we could tell the grown ups." Stomp said.  
"There may not be enough time." Littlefoot said. "Uh . . . okay, we'll split up, some of you can go tell the grown ups, and the rest of you can come with me."  
"I want to go tell the grown ups." Stomp said.  
"Me to." Petrie said.  
"I had better tell my daddy." Cera said.  
Spike motioned towards the grown ups.  
"I will go to the grown ups, I will, I will." Ducky said.  
"Then . . . I guess I'm on my own." Littlefoot said.  
"Okay! Goodbye!" Cera said, and she ran off towards the grown ups. The others followed her. Stomp paused. "Go ahead." Littlefoot said. "I'm going on, but you should do what you feel is right."  
Stomp nodded, and ran off. Littlefoot turned towards where they had heard the voice. He walked off into the rock terrain in search of the cries for help.  
"Help me!" The voice called. "Please! Help me! Some one! Any one!"  
Littlefoot knew better than to shout back, especially in the Mysterious Beyond. He moved carefully, trying not to make noise.  
"It's okay Littlefoot." He thought to himself. "Nothing to worry about. You survived outside in the Mysterious Beyond once, and you were a lot smaller then . . . of course, Grandma and Grandpa helped, but . . . when you were all alone, you survived, don't worry." He thought.  
"Please? Any one?"  
Littlefoot continued, until he came to a small rocky area. There were some old dried out trees. One of which had snapped at the trunk, and fallen. Littlefoot had the feeling that he'd find the voice there. He cautiously moved towards the tree, keeping his eyes open for predators. It definitely wasn't Stomp's mother, because a small tree wouldn't trap her. Of course, it wasn't really a small tree. It was bigger than Grandpa's neck, but any full-grown long neck would be able to get free. Littlefoot came to the tree's branches. The voice was silenced. He looked around. There was no one here.  
"Hello?" Littlefoot asked. "Is any one there?"  
There was no answer. Littlefoot wondered around, looking for some one. Any one. He was getting worried that he'd walked into a trap of some sort.  
"Help." The voice muttered weakly.  
"Who's there?" Littlefoot asked.  
"What are you?" The voice asked.  
"I'm Littlefoot, I'm a long neck."  
"Liar." The voice snapped. "You're not a long neck. Long necks are louder."  
"We'll . . . I guess . . . I am sort of a baby."  
"Oh, wonderful." The voice said. Littlefoot heard a sigh. "Well, can you move this tree?"  
"Move the tree?" Littlefoot asked. "Are you under it?"  
"The leaves and branches." The voice said.  
"What are you?" Littlefoot said. "Are you a sharp tooth?"  
"You won't know unless you let me out!" The voice said.  
"What's your name?"  
" . . ." The voice didn't answer.  
"You can tell me your name cant you?" Littlefoot asked. "I told you mine."  
"I forgot it." The voice said.  
"I'm Littlefoot." Littlefoot said.  
"That's an . . . unusual name for a long neck." The voice said.  
"So tell me yours."  
"I'll tell you once I'm free." The voice said. "Get me out! Please!"  
Littlefoot decided maybe it would be better to wait for grandpa. It was impossible that a large sharp tooth would be under those leaves, but when the great valley had run out of water, Littlefoot and his friends saw smaller faster sharp teeth.  
"I think I'd better wait for my grandpa." Littlefoot said.  
"No! Your grandpa won't help me! You have to help me now! Quickly!"  
"But, Grandpa and the others could move this tree faster than I could."  
"No! Please!"  
"Why not?" Littlefoot asked.  
"Forget you!" The voice cried. "Help me! Some one! Help me NOW!"  
Littlefoot sighed, and pushed the log as far as he could. He remembered when he was smaller, he couldn't do this sort of thing. But now, he was bigger, he was stronger.  
He pushed the log, then after a while, is slid down a hill, revealing the person he'd just saved.  
"SHARP TOOTH!" He shouted. He turned on his heels, and ran. He ran back the way he came, the Sharp tooth was not following him.  
She got out of a small ditch. She was a sharp tooth. Not like any Littlefoot had seen before. She stood up and he could see her whole body. She had a long tail, an almost brownish gold color with dark brown, almost black stripes to a certain point, then she had dark striped on her back, leading all the way up to her head, a one that went over her eye. Her throat and underbelly were a soft yellow, she had legs that curved like a crooked Z and a long deadly claw on each foot, similar to the ones Littlefoot had seen on the small sharp teeth from the water adventure. She had yellow feathers on the top of her head. Littlefoot noticed, on her back, just above her legs were three deep pink gashes. She looked around. "Thank you!" She called. Then ran off.  
Littlefoot emerged from his hiding place. He looked around, then went back to hiding, waiting for his grandpa to come.  
  
But it was long after the bright circle in the sky disappeared before any one found him. It wasn't grandpa, it was Petrie's mother, and she led him back to the valley.  
"Littlefoot." Grandpa said. "I'm very disappointed in you."  
"Wondering off and getting lost in the Mysterious beyond is bad enough, that you were there at all is even worse!" His grand mother lectured.  
"I'm sorry." Littlefoot said.  
"No!" Grandpa shouted. He spoke again, this time with a softer voice. "Littlefoot, the other parents think that your grandma and I got to easy on you, and if we do it is because your so little and because we love you. But your not so little any more. Please Littlefoot, do as we tell you, the next time you disobey us . . . were going to have to be harder on you."  
"We love you, and don't want to lose you to a sharp tooth the way we lost . . ." Grandma trailed off. But Littlefoot understood.  
"You two don't want to lose me . . . to a sharp tooth the way you lost mother . . ."  
"Yes." Grandpa said softly. "You're our herd's last hope for survival. Your grandmother and I are to old to have more babies, and . . . your mother is gone . . . all of your brothers and sisters were killed by egg napers . . . Littlefoot, you are all that we have left, besides each other. Please Littlefoot, please do not ever risk your life again." Grandpa said.  
"Okay." Littlefoot said. Finally understanding how his grandparents felt. When he couldn't find his mother, it'd been terrible. He'd wanted to die, he'd felt so lost without her. But when he finally found her, and she was dying . . . he felt like his world had exploded, he felt so terrible. He knew that if he were to die, his grandma and grandpa would feel the same way, and they must have felt that way when his mother died. He began to cry at the memory of his mother. The way she'd fought for his, and Cera's lives that night, against impossible odds, against that terrible sharp tooth.  
"Your mother will always be with you." Grandma said. "She said so herself. Littlefoot, you shouldn't be sad about her passing, she's in a better place, and one day, you'll meet her there."  
"But, don't rush." Grandpa said. "Live your life to the fullest, your grandmother and I don't want you to stop having adventures, just be careful, don't get lost. And never explore the Mysterious Beyond alone. Never without a grownup."  
"Okay." Littlefoot sniffed.  
"Good night little one." His grandma said. She walked away. His grandpa followed. Littlefoot curled up in his nest, and went to sleep.  
  
  
Zipolote flew high over the great valley. He saw a nest of eggs, and swooped down. He looked around. He had two minutes. He garbed an egg, and smashed into it with his beak. He ate the premature dinosaur inside.  
Half way through growth, just the way he liked it. He moved to the next egg. He tore into it, in a minute he'd decimated the entire litter. He looked around, and took flight. He searched for another nest. But this time, he didn't want to find eggs.  
Gullible baby dinosaurs. That's what he wanted. He landed next to a long neck's nest. He pecked at the dinosaur inside.  
"Hey! Wake up!" He said.  
The baby dinosaur woke up. "W-who are you?"  
"My name is Zipolote." He said.  
"You're a flyer, like my friend Petrie." The baby dinosaur said.  
"Yeah, what ever." Zipolote said. He paused. He knew this dinosaur. He'd seen him in the outer plains! "Uh, I have some friends that would love to meet you. Let me take you to them." He said.  
"Okay." The little dinosaur said. "By the way, my name is Littlefoot."  
"That's great." Zipolote said, pretending to care.  
  
  
Littlefoot followed Zipolote for a long time. But through out this time, he was never fully awake. When he finally was, he realized her was in the rocky terrain of the Mysterious Beyond!  
"Zipolote!" He said. "Were in the Mysterious Beyond!"  
"You don't say." Zipolote said. "Well, that's where my friend is. He's dying to meet a fleshy little long neck like you."  
Littlefoot moved through the Mysterious Beyond, following Zipolote.  
Zipolote led him to a deep, dark cave.  
"Wait here." He said. "I'll get my friend." He flew off into the cave.  
Littlefoot felt cold, and alone. Then there was a deep rumble from the cave. And out came a . . .  
"SHARP TOOTH!" Littlefoot cried, he couldn't move, he was paralyzed with fear.  
"Pretty scrawny little one you brought me." The sharp tooth said. "Zipolote, I am very disappointed."  
"Sorry, you want I should bring you another?"  
"Go." The Sharp tooth said. "As for you little one. Dinner. I am Long Jaw, the Great Long Jaw, and you are about to feed my belly. Knowing that you are to be dinned upon by the great Long Jaw, should be some consolation to you, as your days end after such a short time."  
"W-what?" Littlefoot manage to ask.  
"I am the great Long Jaw." Long Jaw said. "I am the master of the outside world. You live your life in the valley, over populated, wits dimming. While the real thunder lizards, the real masters of earth fight for their lives, and for survival out here. We hunt, we fight, we kill, and we eat. That is the way of my kind. I know my destiny, but weather or not you know yours, you'll never fulfill it."  
Littlefoot didn't understand all that Long Jaw was saying, but he understood enough. "You're going to eat me?"  
"Yep. Sorry kid." Long Jaw said.  
"B-but, if you're so great, why don't you hunt down prey of your own?"  
Long Jaw smiled. "Because. Thanks to my friend Zipolote, I don't have to. Besides, you're only a midnight snack. My real prey, can be anything from a snake, to an adult long neck. But nighttime snacks are just stupid children. Like you.  
"Please don't eat me!" Littlefoot whined.  
"I will eat you when I'm ready." Long jaw said. "I'd prefer to wait for the next piece of meat. But since you're so talkative . . . I guess I'll go right ahead and gobble you up my stupid little long neck." He lunged forward, and opened his jaws to snap.  
"No!" Littlefoot cried.  
"AAAHHHH!" Long Jaw cried out. His lower jaw was bloody, and his throat had a small nick.  
Long Jaw roared loudly. "Blueback? No! Blueback would never move that fast, who's there?"  
There was no answer. "Get in the cave." Long Jaw instructed Littlefoot.  
"Why should I listen to you?" Littlefoot asked.  
"Because now, I'm trying to save your life, so I can take it later!" Long Jaw snapped. "And because if you don't, I'm going to eat you now!"  
Littlefoot ran into the cave, but stayed at the opening. He watched as Long Jaw paced back and forth. It seemed like an eternity before Long Jaw lunged for a quick movement behind a rock, he took the whole rock in his mouth, and smashed it to ruble with his jaw. He looked down, and there was a dinosaur just like the one Littlefoot had saved. It was a little bigger, with different markings. But it was definitely the same kind.  
"You!" Long Jaw roared. He dove down on the smaller sharp tooth and took it in his mouth. He was about to bite down when came a loud screech.  
"What?" Long Jaw asked, looking around, Littlefoot saw the four dinosaurs charging him.  
One of them, was the one that he'd saved.  
Then came two more from another side, and two more jumped onto Long Jaw's back from on the top of the cave.  
Long Jaw let out a defining roar, and then he clamped down on the pack hunter still in his mouth. He held it in his mouth, then threw it to the ground, it exploded, literally exploded. Littlefoot had never seen anything like it, and he never wanted to see anything like it again.  
Long Jaw threw himself backwards, this remedied him from two pack hunters on his back as they leapt off, but now his belly was exposed.  
One of the four that'd come in from behind jumped onto Long Jaw's stomach, and began to bite, and claw fiercely.  
"YOU!" Long Jaw cried, he took the pack hunter by the tail, and threw him into a broken tree. The tree exploded in a shower of splinters, but the pack hunter was a part of that explosion to. Another two pack hunters jumped onto Long Jaw's belly, he managed to get one of them onto his leg, and kick it away. It survived, but it was lucky, it'd flown pretty far.  
"Leopard!" One of the Pack hunters shouted. It turned, and attacked Long Jaw. Long Jaw got up, and shook off his attackers. He had taken some major hits to his belly. He backed away, panting. He looked at the seven remaining pack hunters.  
"Go on." He said. "Take him if you want him so badly."  
One of the Pack hunters, the one called Leopard, came and reached out for Littlefoot. Leopard was large, very impressive. He had spikes on his nose, that looked a little bit like a three horn's only they were to small, and he had a brown spot over his nose. The rest of his head was devoid of those stripes, but neck had some, but again, none on his back instead on his sides were black circles, a few on his legs and arms. From almost the base, his tail was completely brown. Littlefoot charged him, and hit him in the belly. Leopard had just sustained being thrown about twenty feet by a large sharp tooth, Littlefoot's blow was all it took to bring him to his knees. But with his tail, he swiped out at Littlefoot, tripping him before he could run away.  
"One Claw, get him!"  
Another pack hunter, with only one of those long killing claws on it's toes, approached him. It grabbed his neck.  
"That's not how you hold it." Another one said. This one was impressive. He was large, he had really dark, red eyes. He had a stripe, like a \\\ on his head, which went from the back of his head, over his eye, to the base of his chin, but not toughing his nostrils. He unlike all the others had a white underbelly, He had a few dark brown stripes on his back and neck. Three rings on his tail before it went all dark brown, and had some spikes growing on the back of his head. "You cant grab it like that, you'll choke it." He said.  
"Right." One Claw said. "How do I hold him?"  
"Uh . . . I don't know, I usually just kill them." The one with the white belly said.  
"Maybe it'll follow us." Leopard said.  
"I w-wana go home." Littlefoot whimpered.  
"Holy Hunt it talks!" Leopard and One Claw jumped back.  
"Of course I talk." Littlefoot said. Sharp teeth are the ones who arnt supposed to know how to talk!  
"So then long neck, follow us, or we'll leave you here with tall dark and ugly." Leopard said.  
Long Jaw grunted.  
"Don't provoke the situation Leopard." One Claw said in a scolding tone.  
Littlefoot slowly followed the seven pack hunters into the rocky terrain.  
  
"I'll get you." Long Jaw said. He began to stalk after them.  
  
  
Cera paced back and forth. "Where's Littlefoot?" She asked. Petrie shrugged.  
"Me no find flat head anywhere!"  
"When did you start calling him flat head again?" Cera asked.  
"Me no know." Petrie said honestly.  
"We'll, he'd better get here soon, or were gonna have to play without him." She said.  
  
Littlefoot marched along with the pack hunters. The one with the white belly was always in the lead, the others took precautions to make sure they didn't pass him, he had to be the leader. Leopard and One Claw had gone up ahead too. Littlefoot was being followed by another one of the pack hunters. It hadn't said a word yet.  
"Stop." The white belly announced. "We'll let it rest here." He said.  
"Thank you." Littlefoot said. The pack hunter didn't seem to have heard him. "What's your name?" He asked. Again, no response. "Where are you taking me? Who are you all?"  
"The three Ws." One Claw snickered. "The first of our prey to ask us all three."  
"That's because they don't last long enough." Leopard chucked.  
"Wh-what about me?" Littlefoot asked.  
"You'll meet a much better fate." The female he'd saved said. "Than many of the other long necks we've encountered."  
"I know you." Littlefoot said. "You were the one I pushed the tree off of. What's your name?"  
The female smiled. "Well I did say I'd tell you once you let me out from under the tree. You did run off crying, but I suppose now's as good a time as any to keep my promise. My name is Quetzal."  
Littlefoot looked around. "There sure are a lot of you."  
"Yes." Leopard said.  
"And many more where we live." One Claw added.  
"What are all your names?"  
"That's none of your business." The dinosaur behind him said. "Talk, talk, talk. If I were you, I'd be happy I still had a tong!"  
"Neckbiter." Quetzal said, pointing to him. Neckbiter was large, almost the same size as the white bellied pack hunter. His hide was dark brown all over, with black stripes.  
"Me." Quetzal continued to tell him the names of the other pack hunters, but Littlefoot couldn't take his eyes off Neckbiter. He was tough, he was definitely a tough guy.  
"And finally, that's Dark Eye." Quetzal said, pointing one of her three clawed hands at the white-bellied pack hunter. "Any questions?"  
"Where are you taking me?" Littlefoot asked.  
"Well . . . home." Quetzal said. "Where did you think?"  
Littlefoot didn't want to tell her what he'd thought, it might give her ideas.  
"You've gone soft Quetzal." Neckbiter said. "Why don't you just settle down and start laying eggs? I can fill you up with a good litter." He added grinning.  
Quetzal looked as if she were about to spring out at Neckbiter, but Dark Eye's voice stopped her.  
"Quetzal, come here." He said.  
Quetzal moved off towards him, Neckbiter snickered.  
Littlefoot decided the current conversation was maybe a little mature for his ears, he didn't understand a word.  
One Claw listened in on the conversation Dark Eye and Quetzal were having. He looked worried when they came back.  
"Lets go." Quetzal said to Littlefoot.  
"Okay." Littlefoot said. Neckbiter took a place in the lead next to Dark Eye There was tension between them. Littlefoot noticed that Quetzal wasn't exactly relaxed herself, neither was One Claw. The other three pack hunters just continued, oblivious to what was going on, so was Littlefoot.  
  
They were near the great Valley wall when suddenly there was a loud roar, and a screech.  
Littlefoot looked back, Long Jaw had one of the two pack hunters, who's name he didn't know, in his mouth.  
He chomped down, killing it. Then threw it away.  
The other Pack hunters ran, Littlefoot to. He could see the Great Valley! He could see the water falls! He could see home! He had to get home!  
"Your mine!" Long Jaw cried, lunging forward, he hit the ground hard, and began to fall down a steep hill that led to the Valley entrance. Quetzal, Dark Eye, and One Claw jumped down over the hill, Littlefoot looked back, he could see them, they moved down with great speed, they were perfectly synchronized when they hit Long Jaw. Long Jaw took One Claw's claw in the side, Dark Eye's claws raked his left eye, and Quetzal jumped and landed on his stomach, she tore into the already damaged tissue, and began to eat him alive!  
Littlefoot couldn't bare to watch, but he couldn't turn away, he was falling to fast.  
Leopard, Neckbiter and the other pack hunter jumped down, with the same synchronization they attacked too. Long Jaw rolled over, Quetzal moved to safety, and Long Jaw pulled himself up the steep hill. While Littlefoot and the pack hunters slid down, down, down. Long Jaw let out a defining roar of triumph, then ran off into the mysterious beyond.  
Littlefoot and the pack hunters slid down, however the slide of the hunters was controlled. Littlefoot was trying desperately to stop sliding.  
"Help!" Littlefoot cried. He didn't have claws like they did.  
Dark Eye dove down, and grabbed him, he dug his claws into the dirt, his toe claws were especially effective. Finally, they stopped, Littlefoot opened his eyes, and he was safe. Dark Eye let him go, and looked back at the Great Valley.  
"We can take you as far as the entrance, but for every one's sake It'd be wise If we didn't go in." He said.   
Littlefoot nodded. "Thanks for saving me, twice." He said. The other pack hunters were coming down to meet them. Dark Eye led Littlefoot to the valley entrance.  
"Hey, wait." Littlefoot said. "I always thought sharp teeth couldn't get into the valley because they didn't know where the entrance was, or because they were to stupid. But, you know where the entrance is, and your not stupid. Why haven't you ever gone in?"  
Dark Eye looked at him. He smiled. "Some times, it's better not to live the easy life." He said. "This is where we leave you little one. If your ever lost in, what you call, the Mysterious Beyond, do not fret, were watching over you."  
"Forever." Quetzal added.  
"And," Leopard.  
"Ever." One Claw finished.  
"What ever." Neckbiter said. "Just go on home kido."  
Little foot took one last look at the sharp teeth that had sacrificed three of their own, to save him, and bring him home. He turned around, and ran into the great valley, his home.  
"Remember, come back some time!" Quetzal called after him. "We'll have to show you our lair!"  
Littlefoot looked back, he saw the six pack hunters run off into the Mysterious Beyond. "Some day." He said. "Some day I will!" He called after his new friends.  
He went into the valley, Cera, Ducky, Spike, Stomp, Petrie, they were all waiting for him.  
"Littlefoot!" They all said together. "Where were you?"  
Littlefoot smiled. "That's a story, you wouldn't believe." He said.  
  
  
To be continued . . .   
A/N: How did I do? My first dinosaur fic EVER! What did you think? 


	2. Things Could Be So Easy . . .

Disclaimer: I don't own the land before time, I don't own Age of Reptiles Tribal Warfare, even though I wish I did.  
  
A/N: If you did not know Dark Eye and Quetzal are (it seems) the two strongest hunters from a pack of meat eating dinosaurs-Dark Eye is obviously the boss and Quetzal seems to be second in command. There are no words at all in AOR (Tribal Warfare) so there's no way to know for sure.  
  
  
The Land Before Time / Age of Reptiles (Tribal Warfare) Part II  
  
Ali ran back and forth between her mother's tree trunk legs. She stopped, but eventually, she excitedly ran back and forth, her mother smiled.  
"Ali, why so excited? Was your first visit to the great valley so much fun that you think tripping your poor mother will get you there faster?"  
"Sorry mother." Ali said. "But I just can't wait to see Littlefoot again!"  
"I'm sure if he's grown half as much as you have, he wont be called Littlefoot anymore." Ali's mother said.  
It was true. When Ali had first ventured into the great valley, she and Littlefoot had been about the same size, yet they hadn't been much larger than their parent's feet up to the ankle, but now Ali at least, had grown to be tall as her mother's leg up to the knee. She had the feeling she was slightly older, but Littlefoot had been more mature, even during the short time they'd known each other.   
"Sharp Tooth!" A young male, named Cole said. Cole was named Cole, because his body was dark brown, with a dark gray stripe going down his back. He ran up to his mother, who had been walking besides Ali's mother.  
"Mama!" He shouted. "Sharp tooth! Lots of sharp tooth!"  
"Nonsense." His mother said. "Dinosaurs hardly move through this area, there can be no sharp teeth here."  
"Wait." The Old One said. "Something does not feel right . . ."  
"ROAR!" There was a deafening roar, and a large green sharp tooth leapt from behind a rock. He let out another "ROAR!" then stomped his feet. He had brilliant blue stripes on his back, the blue seemed to fade into his blue-green scales, and stopped at his white belly. He stood quite tall, and had a great large mouth filled with deadly teeth. Ali's heart stopped, but she knew that she had to run. Her mother began to run first, the old one behind them, Cole and his mother after that. Two of the larger males charged the sharp tooth, Ali knew that the plan would be to knock him down, then run like there was no tomorrow. She hoped they would be okay.  
"ROAR!"  
"Another one!" The Old One said.  
"I told you there were lots of them!" Cole cried, but only Ali heard him. Though she was quite panicked, she managed to get a look at the new one. It was yellow-green, and purple stripes, with dark green rings around them. It was female, and had a purple mask over it's eyes, with a dark ring under them.  
"Run little one!" The Old One said, pushing her along. Ali ran, she ran, she knew that her chances were low, but she couldn't let them catch her! She ran as fast as her four legs would carry her.  
"There is no way out!" Cole's mother cried, Ali snapped her head back to see what she meant. Another sharp tooth. This one was the same color as the female, yellow-green with purple stripes surrounded by dark green rings. This one's head was different, this one had a purple spot on it's nose, and a stripe on it's head that went over both eyes.  
"ROAR!" The new female cried. Ali moved close to her mother's leg.  
"Mother . . ." she said. "What is going to happen to us?"  
Her mother was silent. Then she said "We . . . will . . . RUN!" She cried, slamming her large tail into the new Sharp Tooth, catching her off guard. Ali's mother ran, followed by the old one, and the other females. The two males were catching up, but so was the first female sharp tooth.  
"Mother!" Ali cried.  
"Ali!" Her mother cried, looking back. Ali stumbled, but didn't fall, she kept running, she knew that if she fell, if she made one mistake, that would be the end of her story. Her role in the circle of life would never be fulfilled, rather she would become part of anther's story. A meal to a sharp tooth.  
"I . . . can . . . not . . . keep . . . up!" The Old One said. Ali turned around, and with pure horror in her eyes, saw as the Old one slowly fell behind, she fell behind the two males who had caught up, she fell further, and further behind, Ali stopped, and ran after the Old one.  
"Old One!" She cried. "Please, you have to keep moving!"  
The Old One shook her head. "Nay child. I am to old to continue, my role in the circle of life ends now." She said, looking back at the three sharp teeth running after them. "But Ali, you are so young, you must go, run, as fast as you can. Take our herd to the great valley, you will be safe there with our cousins until a new leader can be elected. Go my little one, go." The Old One said. She gave Ali a gentle nip on the back, and pushed her after the herd, which had stopped moving.  
"I . . . I will never forget you Old One, or the things you taught me." Ali said. She turned around, and she ran.  
  
Blueback leapt forward, the old long neck slammed her fat tail into him, he fell back, but quickly got to his feet.  
"Climber!" He cried out to his mate. "Be careful!"  
"I will be careful as well Blueback." Talon snapped, snorting through her purple nose. She leapt onto the old dinosaur, while Climber went for the neck.  
"Away from me you scum!" The old long neck protested, trying to force Talon off her back.  
"I am afraid that will no happen, your old, your time has come, and now it is over." Talon said, laughing insanely.  
Climber leapt for the old dinosaur's neck. Short Tail was watching intently, Blueback had needed both Talon and Climber for this attack, and hadn't wanted to leave the juvenile alone in the nest with the recent conflict between himself and Long Jaw.  
"Watch us Short Tail!" Blueback called, as he rushed towards the long neck, and sunk his teeth into it's thigh. "Because boy, some day you'll be leading the hunt!"  
Short Tail watched, not letting a single detail escape his watchful, yellow eyes. Short Tail was dark green, with lighter shade of green on his lower jaw and underbelly. He looked much like Long Jaw.  
Blueback abandoned his grip on the old Long Neck's thigh for a more favorable bite in it's belly. He tore the old one's flesh away from her stomach, blood and guts spilled out of her. Talon managed to bring the old dinosaur down, slamming into the ground, and Climber finally got hold of the long neck's neck, just bellow the head.   
Climber's jaws clamped, she let the creature's blood flow into her mouth, and Blueback could see it coming out of her jaws. And then, the old dinosaur was dead.  
Talon and Climber moved away from the kill. Blueback would eat first. Though he would more or less eat half of what was there. Climber and Talon, being smaller, and female, would be second to eat, they would have to settle for the remaining half, and of course Talon would be sure that Climber left a little for Short tail. This was the way things worked. Blueback went to his meal, eagerly, and enjoying the warm flesh.  
  
  
Long Jaw watched as Blueback and his mates feasted upon the rotting corps of the old long neck. He'd seen them make their kill, and he'd been so proud of his kind, even though he hated Blueback.  
"Some day Blueback, I will become Alpha Male again, and then I will have not only Talon, but Climber as well. She will be my mate instead of yours cur." He vowed silently. Some day, when he had regained his strength from he fight with Blueback, and from his recent conflict with Dark Eye and his pack, he would take back what was rightfully his. Blueback seemed to enjoy the dead long neck's warm flesh going down his throat, Long Jaw imagined ripping that throat away. "Soon Blueback. Soon." He thought. He waited for them to finish eating, then he would take to their kill, and see what was left. He hated the idea of being reduced to a scavenger, however Dark Eye's pack had left several wounds on his belly, not all of which had healed yet. He could not risk any sort of prey using this to an advantage. He would soon become strong enough.  
Zipolote had disappeared, he knew that the flyer feared the question Long Jaw would ask. Zipolote knew the way into the great valley, but because the fat flyer so enjoyed feasting on the eggs of the valley dinosaurs, he didn't want Long Jaw to decimate the population. Although Long Jaw knew that if he could set up a nest in the great valley, Talon, Short Tail, even Climber would come over to him, and leave Blueback behind like a bad memory.  
  
  
It was dark, Littlefoot was standing at the entrance to the Mysterious beyond. Thinking about Quetzal. Again.  
She'd told him to visit, but had she meant it? It'd been many moons, and yet no pack of sharp teeth had invaded the valley. He'd told Ducky, and Petrie, they'd started hailing him as a hero. Cera hadn't believed him, and Spike had fallen asleep during the story.  
"Better that they think it's just another story." Littlefoot thought. "It's much better that way."  
He watched the opening, for a moment, he thought he saw Leopard, motioning him to come out, but it was not Leopard. It was nothing. Just shadows in the darkness.  
The ground began to shake, and then Littlefoot saw that those shadows belonged to long necks! A herd of long necks! Just like him!  
"Grandma! Grandpa!" Littlefoot cried, his Grandma and Grandpa got up and looked at him.  
"What is it Littlefoot?" His Grandpa asked.  
"Long necks! Like us!" Littlefoot cried.  
"Oh." Grandma said. She got up with some strain. She was getting old. So was grandpa. Of course, they had been old, but now it was becoming clearer to Littlefoot, who was also a lot older, that his Grandma and Grandpa weren't going to be with him much longer. Ducky's grandma had died of age recently in the valley, but Littlefoot's Grandma and Grandpa were so much younger than Ducky's had been.  
"They are Ali's clan." Grandpa said grinning.  
"Littlefoot!" Ali cried, leaping away from her mother. She had grown to. She was a little smaller than Littlefoot, but just a little. "Littlefoot!" She said again. Littlefoot smiled. It was late, but he hadn't noticed-It was a full moon, they had lots of light.  
"Ali!" He shouted happily. "Ali! You came back to the great Valley!" He said it as if to inform her, although he knew that she knew where she was.  
"Littlefoot?" A smaller, darker long neck asked. "Who is this Ali? He's not little."  
Littlefoot blushed. He'd been told that his name was odd for a growing long neck, but he didn't care. His mother gave him that name, no other, he'd keep this name, and be called by no other.  
"I used to be little." Littlefoot said. "But I grew."  
"So did I!" Ali said with excitement. She paused, and looked very sad when Littlefoot's Grandma asked Ali's mother:  
"Where's the Old One?"  
"The Old One!" The dark long neck whined.  
"The Old One was taken by predators." Ali's mother said. "We have yet to elect a new leader."  
"That is terrible news." Grandpa said. "I am sorry for your loss."  
"The loss, is indeed tragic, but it allows us to move in a new direction." A new long neck, a large one, similar in color to the younger, darker one said.  
"My name is Nicolai, and I intend to rule."  
"That's my big brother." The smaller, dark long neck said.  
"The role of a herd's leader is not to rule, but to lead." Grandpa said.  
"Well," Nicolai said. "We've tried that, the Old One lead us, we followed, and many of us died. However if one of us were to rule, perhaps the loss of life would be smaller."  
"Perhaps." Grandma said. "But in any case, you must be tired, fatigued even. Come, you may rest with us tonight."  
"Can Littlefoot and me play?" Ali asked her mother. This was quite the involuntary question, Littlefoot was pretty tired.  
"That is not how a young lady speaks." Her mother said, scolding her.  
"Uh, May Littlefoot and I play?" Ali offered. Her mother smiled and nodded.  
"Take Cole with you!" Another Long neck, presumably Cole's mother called.  
Cole was the small gray striped dinosaur, this much Littlefoot could guess, because the next minute, Cole was jumping up and down with excitement.  
Littlefoot noticed that the sun was coming up, no wonder Ali had asked if they could play so late. He sighed, he'd gotten a few hours of sleep in, and he was okay to play with Ali and Cole for a little while, after all, who knew when she would have to leave.  
"Lets go!" Cole cried. "Show me your valley! Please? Please? Please? Show me! Show me!"  
"I'll have to introduce you to Ducky some time." Littlefoot said. Ali smiled, but Cole looked confused.  
"Funny name for a long neck, very funny."  
"She's not a long neck." Ali explained. "I told you, Ducky is a big mouth."  
"Oh!" Cole said, he understood.  
"Lets go get every one!" Littlefoot said, then he realized Ali hadn't met Stomp. "I have to introduce you to Stomp!" He said. Stomp was small, about Cole's size, but he still hung out with Littlefoot and the others. Now he would be the perfect playmate for Cole.  
"Cera!" Littlefoot called, since he was closest to her nest.  
"Cera?" Cole asked.  
"You'll see." Ali assured the smaller Long neck. Although Cole wasn't that much smaller.  
"Cera!" Littlefoot cried again. He stopped, he couldn't believe he'd forgotten that Cera's father liked to sleep in on nights after full moons. He crept up to Crea's nest slowly. Then, he approached a small three horn, which he assumed was she.  
Cera had grown to, her two upper horns were coming along, Cera often complained about how much this annoyed her, but Littlefoot could tell, that aside from the fact that she couldn't ram herself into trees to get leaves any more, Cera was incredibly proud of her horns, and what they represented.  
"Littlefoot?" Cera asked.  
"Hey!" Littlefoot said happily. "Lets play! I know it's early but . . . look who's here!"  
Cera looked. "Oh! Hi Ali!" She said happily. "Okay, lets play! Where are the others?" Cera asked.  
"We gotta get them." Littlefoot said.  
"Okay!" Cera said. "Leave it to me, I'll get Ducky and Spike, and meet you by the water fall, you get Stomp and Petrie."  
Littlefoot nodded. He ran off. "Cant catch me Ali!" He shouted, a little to loud.  
"Sharp tooth!" Cera's father cried in his sleep. But luckily he didn't wake up.  
"That was close." Ali said, as she caught up to Littlefoot. Cole was following them.  
"How long are you going to stay in the great valley?" Littlefoot asked Ali.  
Ali stopped moving. Littlefoot stopped to, and looked back at her.  
"I don't know." She said. She sounded really sad. "With the Old One gone, life has changed, we may continue to migrate, we may stay in the great valley, or we may even migrate to a less crowded area, and live there forever."  
"Wow." Littlefoot said. What else was he supposed to say? "But uh . . . at least you can have a new adventure." Littlefoot said.  
Ali nodded. "Your right." She said. She bolted towards him, lightly hitting him with her tail as she passed. "Your it!" she cried out, Cole ran after her, laughing. Littlefoot ran after them, but he stopped when he got to Stomp's nest. Ali walked up to him, so did Cole.  
"What's up?" Cole asked.  
"This is where Stomp lives." Littlefoot said.  
"Who?" Ali asked.  
"Stomp. He's a long neck, like we are." Littlefoot said.  
"Oh." Cole said.  
"But?" Ali asked.  
"What?" Littlefoot asked.  
"Well, if he's your friend, why arnt we going in there?"  
"Well, it's just that he's sort of . . . uh . . . well . . . never mind." Littlefoot said. He was going to say that Stomp was sort of sensitive about the fact that his mother had never been found, but it was a long story, and if Stomp was listening, his feelings might get hurt that they were talking about his mother. Stomp was living with an adoptive father, and an adoptive . . . well, Stomp had told Littlefoot never to think of the female as his mother, believing that his real mother to come back some day. Littlefoot believed that Stomp deserved the benefit of the doubt, he wondered if he could ask Quetzal to look for Stomp's mother, but it'd been so long, would she remember him? She, Leopard and One Claw had said they would watch over him, forever, and ever. Had they been serious?  
"Littlefoot." Ali said. "Snap out of it."  
"Oh sorry. I was just going to say uh, well, lets go get Stomp." He said nervously.  
He walked up to the small nest filled with baby long necks. The largest of which was Stomp. Stomp was older than the other long neck children, but all the same Littlefoot hardly recognized him, he'd grown a lot. A lot. He was actually still smaller than Littlefoot, but still, he was large for his age.  
"Stomp." Littlefoot said, nudging him.  
"Oh my lord." Stomp's adopted father said. "All your friends turned into long necks." He laughed. "Or did you dump the odd group for a more favorable one?"  
"No, we are just visiting Littlefoot and the great Valley." Ali said, politely, and Littlefoot noted, properly. "Cera and Ducky and Spike will soon be waiting for us by the waterfall, and we would like to take Stomp with us, as we are quite sure he would be upset should we leave him behind."  
Stomp's A father nodded, and went back to sleep. Littlefoot didn't like him much, he was prejudice towards his friends, especially towards Spike. Littlefoot didn't know why, and he didn't care, he hated people who couldn't see other kinds of dinosaurs as who they were, and instead saw them as what they were.  
However eventually Stomp was awoken, and the group of four happy long necks traveled on to Petrie's nest. Petrie was already awake, and waiting for them.  
"Me ready to fly flat head." Petrie said. He was almost fully-grown for a flyer, but he was little more than Cera's age.  
"Let's go to the water fall!" Ali said.  
"Yeah!" Stomp said.  
"Follow me!" Littlefoot said, he began to run, then slowed, and stopped. He gently tapped Ali with his tail. "Your it, can't catch me!" He ran off towards the waterfall, Ali chasing him closely, Stomp and Cole trying to keep up, and Petrie flying faster than any of them could run.  
  
  
Neckbiter paced back and forth in front of the pack hunter lair.  
Several thorny vines, thick as a red wood, had wrapped themselves together to become a large pyramid with different floors, and lots of room. It was large enough for the whole pack, but the entrance was so small, that only a pack hunter could get in, which is why Blueback hadn't succeeded in wiping out the whole clan when he raided the pyramid. True, Dark Eye and Quetzal had survived because they, and the now quite headless Maya had been hunting at the time, but Neckbiter had survived by rushing into the lair. He'd watched as Blueback slaughtered the slow, and the few who had the courage to fight him. The massacre was an image burned into the back of Neckbiter's mind, but he'd never let any one know how deeply it had hurt him. He was the tough guy. He glanced at his mate, Halla. Halla was lightly colored with light, light brown where the others had tan, and tan where the others had dark brown, or black. She often spoke about how lucky she was to have survived the conflict not long ago, when Quetzal had persuaded Dark Eye to guard a baby long neck. Of the group that attacked Long Jaw, only Dark Eye, Quetzal, Leopard, One Claw, Neckbiter himself, and Halla had made it back. It was then that Halla chose Neckbiter as her mate. Though Neckbiter would have definitely preferred Quetzal, he enjoyed the idea of having a mate at all.  
"Neckbiter," Halla said. "What is it you're thinking of?"  
Neckbiter hated it when she asked him that. He felt like ripping her head off her shoulders, but knew that's cause some problems between him and Dark Eye, since his rival was so interested in the idea of keeping nested females alive. Neckbiter hated the idea of having a mate who hunted with him. He'd gotten Halla pregnant as soon as he could, and tried to keep her that way, even though it was a large strain on her, he preferred to see her as little as possible. Now Quetzal would have been another matter, but she showed no interest in him as a mate, and little as a hunting companion.  
"She's just another female." Neckbiter thought to himself.  
"Neckbiter." Halla said.  
"Yes, yes, what is it!" He asked, turning around.  
"What is it you're thinking?"  
"None of your business." Neckbiter snapped. How was he to tell his mate he was thinking of another female?  
"You're thinking of Dark Eye?" Halla asked.  
Neckbiter nodded. He hadn't been, but now he sure was. Dark Eye was his brother, sort of. They had been born of the same nest, but Neckbiter was sure he had been placed in the wrong nest some how.  
"You should make piece with him, you two could be a great force as allies."  
Neckbiter growled, but Halla stood her ground. She knew him to well.  
"He took us to the great valley. He took us, but we didn't go in!" Neckbiter raged.  
"You heard Dark Eye, if we live the easy life, we'd become weak. Uncontrolled with no predators, we would grow to numerous and we would soon decimate the valley's population. He's very wise for such a young one, but I know you are to, this is why I have chosen you as my mate."  
"Whatever." Neckbiter said. "You know things would be so much easier if we were living in the great valley."  
"I know." Halla said. "And I understand how you feel. But Dark Eye is the head of the pack, and what he decides is what we do. We cannot go against him."  
"Of course." Neckbiter said. He'd never challenge Dark Eye, he'd argue, and he'd dream of leading the pack, but he'd never attempt to harm his brother.  
"Dark Eye is back!" An old male said. The old male was Neckbiter's father. Dark Eye's as well. He was so old that no one knew his real name, except for him. But he'd chosen the name Scar. It suited him, he had less than half a tail, and scars all over his body.  
"And?" Neckbiter asked.  
"You asked me to inform you when Dark Eye returned." Scar spat. "I did so." He walked off. Neckbiter nuzzled Halla, since that was the sort of thing he was required to do. He walked out to greet Dark Eye.  
  
Dark Eye came back to the lair, for a split second, he remembered the image he and Quetzal had seen some moons ago. Blueback, grasping one of their kind in his jaws, four other bodies around him. The wicked laugh was a sound Dark Eye could still hear, it was a sound that he would never forget.  
"Dark Eye." One Claw asked. Dark Eye snapped out of his daze.  
"Yes?" He asked.  
"Nothing." One Claw said. "I just thought you seemed to be thinking more than usual."  
"You think to much." Leopard said.  
"You don't think enough." Dark Eye grinned.  
Leopard smiled. Two others came up behind them. Quetzal and another female, Nata. They were behind, dragging some scraps of the latest kill. One Claw had landed it. They traveled into the pyramid, Nata bit a piece of meat away from the corps, and proudly presented it to her offspring. Her mate, Broken Claw, a rather old male had died recently on a hunting expedition, and Nata, despite being so young, had to hunt to be absolutely sure that her offspring got their fair share of meat.  
This was a special thing, usually they didn't bring the kill back. However it'd been so light that they had managed it. Of course there was the matter of the blood, but it'd stopped bleeding half way to the pyramid.  
"Quetzal. Nice kill, did you do it?" Another female asked. Quetzal shook her head.  
"One Claw." She said. "With a quick slash to it's neck."  
"And you brought it back." Scar said.  
"Yes." Dark Eye said. He knew what came next.  
"Fool." Scar said. "What happens when a rival pack, or even Blueback follow the scent?"  
"If it's a rival pack, we'll chase them out of our territory, and if it's blue back we'll run." Leopard said simply. Though it was embarrassing, it was also the best plan of action when ever Blue Back appeared.  
"Fool." Scar said. "You will be the death of us all Dark Eye."  
"I don't think so." One Claw said. "There is no reason to believe that we are in any danger so long as we take the precautions."  
"And, if other pack hunters should come," Quetzal said. "We'll give them fair warning, then we'll just show them were superior."  
"Fool." Scar said. He stormed off. And Neckbiter took his place.  
"Dark Eye." He said. "Your back, I'm glad."  
"Really." One Claw said. "I bet you are."  
"Ah, Quetzal, my pretty, I am very glad your back safe." He looked at Leopard and One Claw. "You two, I don't care about." He said.  
One claw rolled his eyes, Leopard chopped down on the carcass and violently tore a bit of meat away.  
"What do you want?" Quetzal asked.  
"Well," Neckbiter said. "Normally I'd want to be by your side for ever. But I wanted to talk to Dark Eye."  
Dark Eye nodded. He motioned for the others to leave. "What is it?"  
"The great valley. We could live like kings if you'd let us Dark Eye."  
"No. I told you the reason that we cant. Think of what will happen to the valley if we hunt it out of existence."  
"It isn't possible for us to eat all the valley dinosaurs." Neckbiter protested. "We can live the easy life!"  
"Hatchling survival rates would increase dramatically, we'd soon have to split up into two separate packs to be able to sustain ourselves, and in time those packs might even war one with another. The easy life? No, it is not." Dark Eye said.  
"Very well." Neckbiter said. He shook his head. "I'm sorry you feel that way." He walked off. Dark Eye had this really bad feeling.  
  
  
It was getting dark, Littlefoot and his friends had played all day, and now he felt like he was going to burst. He was so happy. Usually his days were fun, but with Ali and Cole, it was super great.  
Ali yawned, she was going to go to sleep soon. Littlefoot was sleepy to, but Ducky and Cole sure weren't. They were jabbering back and forth in their repetitive way. Life in the great valley was perfect, Littlefoot just hoped it never changed.  
  
Neckbiter smiled. Dark Eye was going to hunt again. Quetzal, Leopard, One Claw, and Scar were going with him. He was glad that both Dark Eye, and fat old Scar were going to be gone. He just hoped he had the time to do what he had to do.  
"You know, it's been pretty slim pickings lately." Neckbiter said to one of the males. The male was young, and tough, his name was Claw.  
"Not really." Claw said. "We get by."  
"Oh, of course we do, because Dark Eye provides for us." Neckbiter said. "Right?" he added.  
"Right." Claw said. He sounded nervous. "Dark Eye provides."  
"But, what if I told you Dark Eye was holding back?"  
"He'd never." Claw said, sounding very confident.  
"Oh yeah? You ever hear of the great valley?" Neckbiter asked.  
  
To be continued . . . 


	3. The Path to The Great Valley

Disclaimer: I do not own Age of Reptiles, or The Land Before Time.  
  
Land Before Time / Age of Reptiles (Tribal Warfare) Part III  
  
  
Grandpa glared at Nicolai. "A herd must be lead, and taught, not ruled, for example, if a member is injured, the heard must do what is in their power to protect this member."  
"No." Nicolai said. "If a member is injured, that member is on his or her own. If it survives against predators to a time when it is no longer injured, then of course the herd would welcome them back, but why waste the lives of the healthy to protect the lame?"  
"Because some day," Grandpa said. "You might be the lame one."  
"If I were so foolish as to injure myself, which is not likely, I would deserve to be left behind." Nicolai said. "A migratory herd cannot slow for even the most valuable member, we waited for the old one, and look, if we'd left her behind, we could have been here twelve moons ago."  
"And when you are the old one? What then?" Grandpa said.  
"Well, when I am the old one, I would have fulfilled my purpose." Nicolai said. "Listen oldster, I mean you, and other old ones no disrespect, why not let the old live in the great valley? But the young ones must continue on their way. Must continue to migrate back and forth to food."  
"But there is food enough for all in the great valley." Grandpa protested.  
"Either way it goes oldster," Nicolai said. "You're not a part of the herd. Do you want to migrate with us? Fine, but can you keep up? I am going to be the new ruler of the herd, and there is no way around it."  
Grandpa was about to talk back, but Grandma gave him such a look, that he kept his mouth shut. It was none of his business, this was their cousin's matter to deal with.  
  
Dark Eye waited in the bushes, Leopard, Quetzal and One Claw were chasing the big mouth away from the water, into the field. It would be up to him to make the actual kill.  
The big mouth ran into the field, trumpeting. It ran close to Dark Eye, then with lightning speed, Dark Eye jumped out, and was on its back. He dug in with his killing claws, and then dug his three fingers into its side to hold on. He reached out with his jaw, and snapped its neck just bellow the skull. Quetzal, Leopard, and One Claw arrived, and the feast began. The Big Mouth was still alive, even though Dark Eye didn't understand why. He'd snapped it's neck, by all rights it should be dead. He tore its throat away, to shut it up. Then there was a loud roar.   
"Blueback?" One Claw asked.  
"Long Jaw!" Leopard said, as Long Jaw's massive form moved into view.  
"Dark Eye." He said. "So you survived. Well you're eating my meal. Though I thank you for silencing it for me, you've saved me a lot of work." Long Jaw laughed wickedly. "Now run along." He moved closer to them.  
"Lets go." Dark Eye said, glancing at Leopard who looked ready to pounce. "There is nothing we can do to stop him, let's just go."  
"Unsuccessful hunt." Quetzal said.  
"Blasted two finger." One Claw snapped. The pack slowly withdrew towards the lake. "Let's kill another one." One Claw suggested.  
"Oh yeah!" Leopard said sarcastically. "And I'll go get Blueback so he can steal our kill just like Long Jaw did. Let's just go home. I'm getting this bad feeling."  
"its called hunger." Quetzal said, "We should really try to catch something."  
"Or," a voice said. "Maybe something's just caught you."  
"What?" Quetzal asked, then the lake moved, water rushed at them in a wave, then a large sharp tooth appeared. "Necromancer!" Quetzal gasped. Necromancer had killed Maya the same day that Blueback raided the den. But Dark Eye didn't expect the crocodile had gained a taste for pack hunter flesh.  
The group ran off.  
"How many times are we going to be attacked today?" Leopard asked.   
"Let's just go home!" One Claw said.  
"Agreed." Quetzal said.  
"Today is just not our lucky day." Dark Eye admitted.  
  
  
"Today is your lucky day." Neckbiter said to Claw and Claw's brother Blaine. "No more hunger, we can migrate to the great valley. No more Blueback. Dark Eye had held out on us, he knows where the great valley is, but even in the worst famine, he's never taken us."  
"I don't believe you." Blaine said. "Every one knows the great valley is just a legend the leaf eaters pass around."  
"Don't be a fool." Claw snapped. Neckbiter had managed to pull Claw over as a comrade, Claw was to say the least his most devoted follower. It'd taken only a mater of moments to turn him, Claw had nothing even resembling a brain.  
"I do not believe you." Blaine said. "And those of you who do, should be ashamed of yourselves for doubting Dark Eye." Blaine's comment wait aimed towards Neckbiter's two other followers, both male since Neckbiter felt it was more important to bring the stronger males onto his side.  
"It's true, it makes sense!" Claw said. "Why are times so tough? Because most of the leaf eaters are going to the great valley!"  
"Time's are not tough." Blaine said.  
"Yes they are, do you remember when we were younger? Before Dark Eye became the Alpha? There was always enough food, now look at us, of eight eggs, usually one or two survive."  
"So?" Blaine asked. "It's always been that way. And what does Neckbiter care for the survival rate of youngsters? Tell me Neckbiter, what happened to your son again?"  
Neckbiter thought for a moment. The first infant he and Halla successfully hatched had been male. Halla had once asked Neckbiter to watch the brat for an hour, and no one, including Neckbiter had seen the brat since. "I lost him, big deal." Neckbiter protested. "I'm careful with the others."  
"No matter." Blaine said. I don't believe you, and I never will."  
"Fool." Claw snapped. "Can you believe only in what you see?"  
"Trust me Blaine," Neckbiter said. "You will soon see the Great Valley, when I lead you to it."  
"You're lying." Blaine said, not sounding so sure.  
"What do I have to gain by lying?"  
"You'd gain control of the pack." Blaine spat.  
"Trust me, I can show you the great valley, then would you believe me?" Neckbiter asked.  
Blaine seemed to think about this. "I'll side with you, but if you lie, I'll kill you."  
"Deal." Neckbiter said. He moved on to his next victim.  
"Neckbiter!" Another male, named Hama said. Hama was middle aged, and had been easy to convince.  
"What is it Hama?" Neckbiter asked.  
"Scar is coming back, I think Dark Eye may be with him."  
Neckbiter stomped the ground. "Find out." He looked to Claw and Blaine. "Don't say anything to any one, meet me tonight here at the beginning of the log, and we'll talk then, bring friends if you like, but don't tell them anything."  
His followers rushed into the pyramid. Neckbiter looked at Hama, who was rushing across the log. The log was the bridge to the lair, which was on a small cliff that couldn't be reached without the log. Blueback had jumped across it though.   
  
Littlefoot and Ali and the others played for a long time. It was late, they were going to sleep, when Petrie's mother flew down with a familiar flyer that Littlefoot knew he'd seen somewhere, but he couldn't remember.  
"Petrie, meet your new uncle, Zipolote, he's offered to baby sit you kids." Petrie's mother said.  
"Zipolote?" Littlefoot thought. "Where had I heard that name before?"  
"Have we met?" Littlefoot asked Zipolote.  
"No." Zipolote said simply, but he didn't sound honest.  
"Oh. Okay." Littlefoot said. He'd figure it out later.  
  
Dark Eye curled up with the other three members in his pack. They had been tracking a leaf eater, but it'd gotten away, now they were a day away from home. They'd get there by dawn, he wondered if every one was okay.  
  
  
Neckbiter informed the five new pack hunters of his plans.  
"I don't want to do anything to hurt Dark Eye, he's been a great leader for so long."  
"A great leader? Pytor, think about it, he's holding out on us!" Claw snapped.  
"But he protects us!" Pytor said.  
"Where was he when Blueback attacked? He didn't protect us then." Neckbiter said.  
"He was hunting with Quetzal and Maya! And anyway, you were the first to run into the pyramid, where were you?"  
"I was weaker then, now I'm stronger. You can ask Halla, I fought Long Jaw with no fear."  
"The word of your mate, as if I could trust her." Pytor said.  
"You can trust Neckbiter." Claw said. "Dark Eye is strongest, but maybe it's only because he saves the food for himself and keeps us half starved!"  
"But I'm not starving!" Blaine said.  
"Because you're used to being hungry!" Neckbiter said. "Think of the great valley, full of leaf eaters to fat to run away, it's a giant buffet!"  
"And what happens when we exhaust the food supply?" Pytor asked.  
"We wont!" Claw snapped.  
"Be quiet!" Neck Bitter snapped back. "And anyway, Claw is right. It's impossible to exhaust the food supply, just as it is impossible to drink all of the great lake!"  
"I am not convinced." Pytor said.  
"Then you can stay here and starve!" Neckbiter snapped.  
Pytor paused. He was young, but very smart for such a youngster. His intelligence reminded Neckbiter of Quetzal. So smart and powerful considering she was a female.  
"I care about Dark Eye, he's my nest brother! But I can't approve of what he's doing!" Neckbiter continued.  
"But he'd never hold out on us!" Pytor said.  
Pytor and Blaine were the only one's not with the program. Other than them, the rest of the small pack around him agreed, and they'd force their mates into it. That was almost half the pack.  
"Listen, Pytor." Neckbiter said. "I already told Blaine, if I'm lying, you can kill me."  
"Well . . ." Pytor seemed to be thinking. After a long time, he nodded. "Very well. I'll do it."  
"Do what?" A gruff voice asked.  
"Dark Eye?" Hama asked.  
"No, it's Scar." Neckbiter muttered.  
"What are you youngsters doing out here?" Scar asked, slowly walked over to them.  
"Nothing. Go away." Neckbiter snapped.  
Scar glared at them. "You're lying."  
"I'm not!" Neckbiter snapped.  
"Fine. I'm going to go back to the pyramid, but I don't want you youngsters staying out to late." Scar said. Neckbiter nodded, and snapped at him. A signal that he should leave.  
"Why didn't you want to tell Scar?" Blaine asked.  
"Because, he'd never let it happen. Scar is all tradition." Neckbiter lied. There was the risk that Scar would tell Dark Eye.  
  
Scar stomped off towards the Pyramid. He hated being pushed around by youngsters. He paused. "Why not listen to them?" He asked himself. He turned towards the Log Bridge. The small pack was talking there in hushed voices. He ran at top speed, and jumped across the gorge at another end. He circled around to the log. He jumped onto it, and with all the stealth he could muster in his old age, he slowly approached them, as if they were prey.  
"We will have to take the majority of the pack, who ever we can, and go into the Great Valley." Claw said.  
"No," Pytor said. "The nesting females won't make it. What about Nata? She's still got infant hatchlings."  
"I know it sounds cold," Neckbiter said, "But we'll have to leave them. She can have more when we get to the great valley."  
"But her mate is dead!" Blaine protested.  
"That's her problem." Claw said.  
"Sad but true." Hama said.  
Scar was shocked at what he was hearing.  
"Nata can have another litter, she's still reasonably young, she can always find another mate." Neckbiter said.  
"But those hatchlings are our feature!" Blaine protested.  
"No, their not." Neckbiter said. "The Great Valley is our feature. Do you want to starve? Then stay here. Want to eat? Come with me."  
"I'm with you," Pytor said. "But . . . poor Nata . . . those hatchlings are all she has in life."  
"What about your own mate Halla?" Another young male, Orion asked.  
"She's strong, if she lays her eggs before we reach the great valley, we'll have to leave them behind."  
"Well," Orion said, "I suppose I'm willing to follow you, so long as your willing to make the same sacrifices we are."  
"I agree." Another male said.  
"No . . ." Scar whispered. He was almost right on top of them. How could they plot like this? It would be the end of the pack!"  
"Who's there?" Neckbiter snapped. He turned in Scar's direction. Scar saw him peer into the darkness.  
Scar stood up. He was old, but he would defend the pack's feature, he'd defend the hatchlings with pride. "I'm here Neckbiter. And I won't let you leave so many hatchlings to die."  
"Old one." Neckbiter snapped. "Hah. It's for the better of the pack. Most of them die any way."  
Scar growled. "But the ones that survive Neckbiter. Those are the one's I'm fighting for. How can you," He looked at Claw and the others. "How can you follow this one, if he does not care for your children? Or even his own?"  
"The survival rate of hatchlings will grow once were safe in the great valley!" Neckbiter snapped.  
"How can you be sure the great valley will be what you say it will be? Weather or not it exists, how can you be sure that it is not guarded?"  
"It exists!"  
Scar frowned. "Are you sure?"  
"Of course I am."  
"You're a fool." Scar said. He'd hoped his words had scared the others. "Upon his return, I intend to inform Dark Eye." He began to walk back to the pyramid, when suddenly he felt incredible pain in his back.  
  
Neckbiter slashed the back of Scar, leaving six bloody gashes, three on each side of the old one's body. "You won't tell Dark Eye!" He said.  
"Neckbiter!" Scar cried, he sounded amazed. He reorganized himself. "So this is what it comes down to my son? A battle to the death between us?"  
"If it needs be." Neckbiter said. "But I am not, and never was, your son." He lunged forward, he opened his jaws, and tried to bite down on Scar's neck. The oldster dodged, and hit his head with his tail.  
Neckbiter fell back, Scar had half a tail, but it still hurt. He growled. He jumped into the air, and came down on Scar, but Scar dodged and kicked for Neckbiter with his foot claw.  
Neckbiter dodged, and slashed out at Scar's thigh, the attack hit, and Scar stumbled. Neckbiter moved in for the kill.  
"Neckbiter . . ." Scar said.  
"No, the time for words is over. As is your story in the great circle of life." He jumped for Scar, his claws ready, his mouth open. Scar rolled over to one side. Neckbiter was on his feet in a flash, he stumbled, then regained his stature.  
Scar was getting tired, Neckbiter could see it. The oldster ran towards him, and slashed with his claws, Neckbiter turned around, and slapped Scar's arms away with his tail. He raised his foot and with his killing claw he cut a large bloody gash in Scar's belly. He ran forward, and gave the old one a nice head butt. Then he moved his head up, Scar's frail old neck. Neckbiter proved himself true to his name. He clamped his jaws down on Scar's neck, and he held tight, until finally, the old dinosaur died.  
Neckbiter took Scar by the neck, and led him to the edge of the cliff. He dropped him.  
"The same fate for any one who even thinks about telling Dark Eye." He said.  
Claw grinned at him approvingly. "I think we have a new Alpha Male."  
"Think?" Hama asked. "If you only think, your brain is slow. I KNOW we have a new Alpha Male." Hama grinned, and bowed.  
"Then do as I say," Neckbiter said. "Tell your mates and some of the other males, only the ones you really trust. With a little bit of luck, we can have most of the pack on our side before Dark Eye gets here."  
"Sure thing boss." Hama said, still bowing as he left.  
"I get so excited when change comes around." Claw said. He and Blaine left.  
Neckbiter didn't trust Pytor and Blaine. But he hoped what he'd just done had brought them over to him with fear at least. Because if they would follow him now with no further objections, then killing Scar was worth it. But then again, it'd felt so good, maybe it was worth it anyway.  
Neckbiter stalked off towards Halla's nest. She was asleep. He laughed softly. He was Alpha male of almost half the pack, and pretty soon he'd be total alpha. He snickered to himself, and lied down next to his unwanted mate. He closed his eyes, and went to sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a big, important day.  
  
Dark Eye had this feeling in the back of his head. All was not well.  
"Quetzal . . ." he whispered. She was the closest to him. She ignored him and continued to sleep.  
"Leopard?" Dark Eye asked. Leopard was sleeping on the other side of Quetzal. He wasn't awake either.  
"One Claw?"  
"Yeah?" One Claw asked.  
"One Claw, I want you to wake the others, while I try to get a scent and make sure that nothings stalking us. I'm getting a bad feeling."  
"Me to," One Claw said. "But I don't smell anything."  
  
Littlefoot woke up, Ali was pushing him.  
"What is it?" He asked.  
"Littlefoot, Cole and I wanted to say good bye, were leaving."  
"What?" Littlefoot got up. "But you just got here!"  
"Nicolai has taken control of the herd, we have to go, good bye Littlefoot."  
"Grandpa!" Littlefoot shouted. He couldn't let Ali and Cole leave, not again, they were his friends, and who knew if they'd come back with a new leader like Nicolai.  
"Littlefoot?" Grandpa asked.  
"Ali's herd is leaving!"  
"Ali!" Nicolai shouted. "Cole! Come on! Or I leave you behind."  
Littlefoot saw grandpa shake with anger. "The young ones? How could you Nicolai!"  
"Shut up oldster!" Nicolai snapped.  
"I've had enough, you're the one who should shut up." Grandpa said.  
"I've beaten every one who opposed me," Nicolai said, "I'm the new ruler of the herd."  
"You haven't beat all the challengers!" Grandpa roared. Littlefoot was shocked. And it looked like Nicolai was to.  
"You challenging me oldster?"  
"That's right." Grandpa snapped.  
"Then . . ." Nicolai shook his head. "Then I'm sorry, but you're going down, I won't go easy on you."  
Grandpa rushed towards Nicolai, Littlefoot saw Grandpa rear up on his hind legs, and kick Nicolai with his front legs.  
"Go Grandpa!" Littlefoot shouted. Grandma woke up and looked a little less excited than Littlefoot thought she would be.  
"Darling!" She cried. "Give up! Don't fight!"  
"Listen to your mate oldster!" Nicolai said, he slapped Grandpa, who was still on his hind legs with his tail. Grandpa fell back, and hit his head, but he got up again.  
"I cant let you take the young one's into a life where they sooner to be left behind to die than be protected. I'm going to lead this herd!"  
"Never!" Nicolai snapped. "And I'd never let the young one's fall to far behind."  
Grandpa slowed his attack, he seemed to be considering what Nicolai said.  
Then Littlefoot saw it. Nicolai stepped back on a tree, it bent backwards, and Grandpa got closer and closer to it.  
"Grandpa! Look out!"  
Nicolai moved his foot away from the tree, and it flew out, and hit grandpa's side.  
"Grandpa!" Littlefoot cried.  
"Dear!" Grandma screamed.  
"I warned you old one." Nicolai said.  
FWOMP  
Grandpa slapped Nicolai with his tail. The younger long neck fell down and hit his head on a rock. Grandpa got up again. Nicolai got up to, but his head was bleeding. He grunted, and charged Grandpa. Grandpa moved out of the way, but to slowly, he and Nicolai were locked in combat, and Nicolai had the upper hand.  
Littlefoot could barely watch. He saw Grandpa and Nicolai fall into the river. Nicolai moved his neck back, then slapped his strong young neck against Grandpa's weak older neck. Grandpa fell into the water, Nicolai stepped on what Littlefoot assumed was his grandfather's neck.  
Littlefoot had been told rarely were battles like this to the death, but Nicolai had no intention of letting Grandpa up. Grandpa's head came up, gasping for air, but Nicolai stepped on it.  
"No!" Ali screamed.  
"My darling!" Grandma screeched.  
"Grandpa!" Littlefoot shouted.  
"Littlefoot!" Cole shouted. "Your grandpa has to give up!"  
"He cant, he can't get up! He can't talk under water!"  
"But Nicolai will kill him!"  
"ROAR!" Littlefoot's grandpa threw Nicolai off of himself. He limped out of the water. It was turning red thanks to Nicolai's blood. Nicolai got out of the water, and rushed for Grandpa. Littlefoot closed his eyes. There was a loud cracking sound. Littlefoot opened his eyes, Grandpa was on his knees, and Nicolai was lying unconscious next to a shattered tree.  
"Your grandpa won!" Ali said, she looked shocked, and glad.  
"Grandpa won!" Littlefoot said excitedly.  
"Is Nicolai all right?" Cole asked.  
"Let's go see!" Littlefoot said.  
"Wait . . . Littlefoot." Grandpa said weakly. He limped to Littlefoot. "My darling grand child, what I just did was wrong. I let my emotions get in the way of my reasoning. I want you to promise me you won't ever do what I did today."  
"Grandpa . . ." Littlefoot said softly. "You were great! You saved Ali and Cole from having to go away."  
"I know." Grandpa said weakly. "But I should never have meddled in the affairs of our cousin's herd. Using violence was even worse. Littlefoot, promise me you wont ever resort to violence, even if it seems to be the good idea at the time, it almost never is."  
"But when is it a good idea Grandpa?" Littlefoot asked.  
Grandpa didn't answer. "Littlefoot," He said. "It's rarely a good idea, and you'll know deep down inside when it is, but no matter how good of an idea it is, it is never the right thing to do."  
"But . . . if you didn't fight, Cole and I would have been taken away, maybe even left behind and eaten by sharp teeth." Ali said.  
"That is why I fought." Grandpa said weakly. "But, when Nicolai said he was joking, I believe he honestly was. He'd never leave you behind, perhaps an oldster like me, but never a youngster like you, you're the feature." Grandpa said.  
Ali didn't say anything. Littlefoot knew how she felt.  
"I jumped to a conclusion," Grandpa continued. "And it was the wrong one." He closed his eyes. "I can't lead your herd."  
"But you have to." Ali's mother said. "You won."  
"Fah!" Grandpa snapped. "I nearly died, nearly killed Nicolai. If he lives, tell him I'm sorry. I can't lead this herd."  
"But . . . you must . . ." Nicolai said. He moved his head up, and stood up. He was wobbly, but he was standing. "You . . . beat . . . me . . . I respect . . . you . . . oldster . . . you're the herd's leader . . . we'll do . . . what ever you say . . . if you don't want to migrate . . . we wont. If you . . . want us to . . . eat rocks . . . we will."  
Grandpa shook his head. "I can't ask you to do that. Nicolai, you're the leader of the herd, I don't deserve to be the leader. I was wrong."  
"Then . . ." Nicolai said, "I refuse to lead." He looked at the members of the herd. One by one, they each refused to lead. "You see?" Nicolai said. "You . . . have no . . . choice . . . oldster." He added the last part with a grin. "I never thought . . . I'd be so . . . stupid as to . . . injure myself, but . . . you proved me . . . wrong oldster . . . I have so much to learn . . . from . . . you . . . please teach me."  
"Were staying?" Cole asked. "I've got to go tell Stomp and Spike!" He rushed off.   
"I . . . I cant teach you . . ." Grandpa said. "There's nothing to teach."  
Nicolai looked disappointed, so did Cole.  
"But," Grandpa said. "You stick around here for a little while, and maybe you will learn something."  
Nicolai smiled. "Excellent . . . Oldster." He said.  
"Let's go tell our friends!" Cole said to Littlefoot.   
Littlefoot nodded. Ali and Cole were going to stay in the great valley! This was better than words could describe! He had two new friends, and Grandpa had a new herd.  
  
Dark Eye and the others ran as fast as they could. It was almost sunrise, they should be reaching the lair . . . Dark Eye preyed that when he got back, the lair would be in one piece, and the entire pack would be alive. If Blueback had done anything to them, Dark Eye swore revenge.  
"Dark Eye . . ." Quetzal said. She was the second fastest runner in the pack besides Dark eye, so Leopard and One Claw were making an attempt at keeping up a few meters behind them.  
"What?"  
"Do you smell that?" Quetzal asked.  
Dark Eye sniffed the air. "Blood!" He said. He closed his eyes, he ran as fast as he could, he ignored fatigue, he ran, he ran . . . he jumped over the gap, ignoring the log bridge, he stopped and opened his eyes.  
Every one was waiting for them. No one was dead. Every one was there! Every one, except Scar.  
"Where's Scar?" Dark Eye asked.  
"Dark Eye," Neckbiter said, with a wicked grin. "How good of you to come, welcome home, we've been waiting for you."  
"Where is Scar!" Dark Eye shouted. He could smell Scar's blood, but he couldn't tell where it was coming from, it was so faint.  
"Well, he came back, but he fell off the cliff. Old age you know." Claw snickered.  
Dark Eye looked around. The entire pack was glaring at him, Nata, Hama, Claw and Blaine, every one.  
"You've been holding out on us Dark Eye." Neckbiter said.  
"What do you mean?" Dark Eye said coldly. Quetzal and the others appeared.  
"You know where the great valley is, and we want you to take us."  
"It's just a legend. It doesn't exist!" Dark Eye said.  
"Lies." Neckbiter said. "But you'll soon learn to tell the truth. Guess what Dark Eye, we've elected a new Alpha male, want to guess who he is?"  
"Neckbiter, master of sweet words and lies?" Dark Eye offered.  
"Not quite." Neckbiter said. "It is me, but I'm not the one who lies."  
"I never lied to the pack."  
"You held out on us. Now your going to take us to the great valley, or . . . well, I cant guaranty your safety once I let my pack loose on you."  
Dark Eye looked over at the Pack. Faces he knew, faces that were burned into his memory forever, faces he loved. Faces he preyed to see when ever he returned from a hunt. "How could you all do this to me?" he asked.  
"Try to see it from our point of view." Neckbiter said. "Were hungry."  
Nata approached Dark Eye. He frowned. "We just want to know how to get there, we won't force you to come with us."  
Dark Eye closed his eyes. He was beaten, there was nothing to be done about it. "Follow the bright circle to the rock that looks like a long neck-and then past the mountains that burn. Go past that and follow the path left by the leaf eaters."  
"There were no burning mountains when we went there." Neckbiter said angrily. "Are you lying?"  
"No." Dark Eye said. "When 'we' went we took a different path, one that is far to complicated for your brain-take the basic path and you will get there-it will take several moons longer but you will get there. There are several springs, and there will be leaf eating herds traveling along the way so you needn't worry about food." Dark Eye closed his eyes. "You win Neckbiter-take your pack and go."  
  
To be continued . . .  
  
A/N: Please review, tell me what you think, even if your reviewing for the second time, or if you want to flame me, and cuss me out, I want to know what people honestly think of this story. 


	4. Show Down in The Great Valley (final)

Disclaimer: I do not own The Land Before Time or Age of Reptiles: Tribal Warfare. Characters in this fan FICTION are not my creation . . . besides Neckbiter, Stomp, Cole, Nicolai, Halla and a few others.  
  
Littlefoot was happy, Ali was with him forever. She'd never leave, he had one more-no two more good friends if you count Cole.  
Everything was good, why should anything go wrong?  
Because life just isn't easy.  
Not even in the great valley.  
  
Dark Eye had been silent since the pack left. Quetzal, Leopard, One Claw and two others had stayed with him. The two that stayed were Nata and amazingly Halla.  
Leopard had expected Neckbiter's mate to go with him, even be excited about the change of leadership of the pack. So he decided to ask. "Halla, why did you stay? Don't you want to be with Neckbiter?"  
Halla smiled. "The question you ask is unfair. The answer is both yes and no. Yes I want to be with Neckbiter, but no I do not want to go with him."  
"You're as bad as Dark Eye."  
"Perhaps."  
"So why didn't you go?"  
Halla closed her brown eyes. "Because." She said. "I love my mate. But I love my children too. I won't give one up for the sake of the other."  
"Then why did you let Neckbiter go?" Leopard asked, feeling confused.  
Halla opened her eyes, she sighed. "Because. I know once my children have grown strong enough I can journey to the great valley with them. And he'll be waiting for me."  
Leopard nodded and walked off. To himself he thought "Neckbiter? Wait for her? No way." Then it occurred to him. "Halla, how would you get to the valley?"  
"Why, I would simply follow the path that Dark Eye led us on that time we saved the long neck. I remember it well."  
"Then why didn't you tell Neckbiter?"  
Halla sighed. "You poor fool Leopard. To live your life without use of your brain. Don't you see? I feel the same as Dark Eye, our pack would crush the great valley, and just think what would happen to Blue Back and his tribe. You and Quetzal stole his eggs, how many were there? Can you imagine dozens of Blue Backs? This area needs us as much as the great valley does not."  
Leopard sighed again. "I was wrong. You are worse than Dark Eye."  
Halla became very sad. "Speaking of whom . . . Leopard . . . why don't you go see how he's doing?  
Leopard nodded and walked over to Dark Eye. "Dark Eye?" He asked. "How are you doing?"  
Dark Eye scoffed. "I'm perfect." He said. "My clan just betrayed me. I might as well go join the meat eaters of bone canyon."  
"You wouldn't fit in there." Leopard said, trying to cheer Dark Eye. "To many of them have beaks."  
"My brother." Dark Eye said. "He killed our father and he betrayed me! My entire clan betrayed me!"  
"And you're just going to let it happen?" Quetzal asked.  
"You will just let them crush the Great Valley?" One Claw demanded.  
Leopard missed the faint grin that crossed Dark Eye's face then disappeared. "Yes. I can do nothing. I am weak."  
Quetzal scoffed. "Dark Eye. I made a promise to that long neck. I won't let Neckbiter kill him. I'm going to the great valley. You can stay here and rot."  
Dark Eye jumped up, fire in his eyes. "Excellent! What I said just now was to see where you stand Quetzal, One Claw." He turned to Leopard. "And Leopard." He turned to Nata and Halla. "Nata, Halla. All of you. We cannot let our clan abandon us, and I cannot let my brother take control without doing so properly, by beating me."  
"What do you have in mind?" One Claw asked.  
"The faster path we took. We'll go to the great valley, we'll get there first."  
"And then what?" Halla asked.  
Dark Eye looked at her. The fire in his eyes didn't die, but his enthusiasm was suddenly replaced with a soothing tone. "I'll bring Neckbiter back, if I have too . . . I'll drag him." Halla nodded. Then Dark Eye added "Alive."  
"Why?" Nata demanded. "You should kill him and stop further rebellion."  
Dark Eye closed his eyes. "Because . . . he is my brother. I won't kill my brother."  
Leopard saw the conflict in Dark Eye. He said he wouldn't, but Leopard knew Dark Eye well enough that he was actually still trying to decide. He shook his head.  
Quetzal stepped forward. "Dark Eye . . . will we really go to the valley then?"  
"Yes." He said. "I will bring back the clan, or I will die trying. I refuse to let our way of life, and the way of life of the valley dinosaurs slip away into chaos. Neckbiter brought the pack to him with sweet words and through the death of an old one. Once they reach the valley he may not be able to control them."  
Leopard swelled with pride, knowing that Dark Eye was his friend, and knowing that he would be part of something so grand. If the six of them died, it would be in glory.  
"Halla. Nata. Stay with the lair. Guard the eggs. Protect them with your life but if you face unbeatable odds run away. If all goes well we will return. If not then go to the great valley as soon as your hatchlings are old enough to journey." Dark Eye looked at Quetzal, One Claw and Leopard. "You three. Let's go. We will run all day and night and we will not stop until we reach   
The four left, Leopard and Dark Eye both ignored the log and leapt across the gap. "Last one to the Great Valley is a flat tooth!" Leopard shouted.  
  
  
Blue Back could smell pack hunter. He saw them, the entire clan with the exception of Dark Eye. Slinking along in the forest. He wondered where they were going. Then he heard the words "Great Valley" he knew this would be fun.  
  
The day had come and gone, the night was reaching its end. The four shapes came to the entrance of the great valley, then hid among the rocks.  
Dark Eye sighed. It was obvious that Leopard and One Claw were drop dead tired. Quetzal seemed a little tired too, but he felt just fine. "One Claw, Leopard. Rest. Sleep, you'll need it. If Neckbiter is clever enough to get here it shouldn't be for two more days, so rest easy. I will keep watch."  
"What do I do?" Quetzal asked.  
"Can you remember that long neck's smell?"  
"I suppose." She said.  
"Go into the valley. Bring him to me."  
"Hungry?" Leopard joked.  
"Yes, but not for him." Dark Eye said. "I may have to eat a lizard though. Perhaps a gecko." He said.  
"Don't, those things are terrible." One Claw said.  
Dark Eye laughed. "If some iguana gets to close to me he's breakfast."  
"Don't say I didn't warn you." One Claw said and then he went to sleep. "Bones and such, stringy meat just not worth picking out of the teeth." He muttered.  
Dark Eye watched the sun rise slowly in the sky. He knew that if he were going into the valley in the daytime it would be foolish, and suicide. He also knew that sending Quetzal in during the day would be suicide. "Quetzal . . . weather you find him of not, come back before the sun fully rises."  
"If I feel like it." She said with a grin. And she disappeared.  
  
Littlefoot and his friends were awake early. All of them running and playing, Cera was smashing things, Petrie was flying around, the four long necks, Spike and Ducky were playing a thrilling game of catch the rock. That's when Littlefoot noticed something moving in the tall grass. He ignored it and it disappeared. They valley was quiet, and no one else was awake. The sun was peeking over the mountains.  
A small rock rolled his way, it had come from the grass. He ignored this. A rock hit his side, he began to wonder what was going on. He walked over to the grass, and looked around.  
"You must be very quiet." A vaguely familiar voice whispered to him.  
"Who are you?" Littlefoot laughed. "Where are you?"  
"I am where I am, I won't tell you until you talk quietly! Listen, forget it. Tell your friends not to be afraid."  
"Who are you?" Littlefoot asked.  
"I helped save your life and you forget me? I am hurt Littlefoot."  
"Your hurt!" Littlefoot exclaimed. "I'll get help!"  
"I meant emotionally, and I was just kidding."  
"Then tell me who are you?"  
"Who are you talking to Littlefoot?"  
"No one!" He said.  
"I'm going to have to show myself because I must leave before the sun rises, but if I show myself and your friends scream I am as good as dead, please tell them all to close their eyes and I will show myself."  
"Close your eyes everybody, no peeking." Littlefoot instructed. Slowly, everyone did as they were told. Then Littlefoot heard a rustling in the trees. A slender dinosaur appeared before him . . . with feathers on her head? "Quetzal!" He exclaimed happily.  
"Who?" Ali asked, opening her eyes just a tad.  
Littlefoot didn't know what to do. If Ali saw Quetzal she'd scream, if she screamed everyone would wake up and Quetzal would be in big trouble.  
So he did the only thing he could think to do. He told the truth. "Ali . . . everyone. Promise me, on our friendship that you won't scream or be scared. Open your eyes."  
Everyone did.  
No one screamed. They were too scared to move.  
"It's okay." Littlefoot said. "She won't hurt us."  
"Littlefoot, you should not have let them open their eyes." Quetzal said.  
"IT TALKS!" Cera screeched so loud that Littlefoot's ears began to hurt.  
Quetzal looked very scared, it was a strange thing to see. "Please, I will not hurt you! Be quiet and calm."  
"SHARP-"  
"Cera!" Littlefoot snapped.  
Cera became silent, the others were slowly overcoming their fear to the point where they could again breathe.  
"Littlefoot, your valley is in danger. Dark Eye is waiting outside, he wants you to come. I have to go now, but please, stay with your friends, make sure they will tell no one, and then come."  
She turned and ran like the wind towards the exit. Littlefoot was a little surprised. "The valley in danger?" He wondered aloud. He turned to his friends. "You can't tell anyone!" He said.  
"Littlefoot . . ." Ali said. "Is that sharp tooth your friend?" She asked calmly.  
"Yes." Littlefoot said. "She even saved my life."  
Ali nodded. "Then we won't tell a soul she was in the valley, or that you're going to your secret meeting."  
"Why not?" Cera asked. "The sharp teeth just want to eat Littlefoot!"  
Ali smiled. "Cera . . . did you forget? It takes all sorts of friends to make the world go round."  
"I'll remember if you promise not to sing." Cera said with a weak smile.  
"Okay flat head." Petrie said. "We not say a word."  
"On one condition." Cera said. "We come with you. To be sure that those sharp teeth don't eat you"  
Littlefoot smiled. "You guys are the best."  
  
  
Dark Eye waited patiently. One Claw, Leopard and even Quetzal were fast asleep. He waited among the rocks where no one could see him, he heard the sounds of life from the valley. He saw a long neck emerge, followed by two others, and a three horn. And a big mouth . . . and a flyer . . . and a spike tail. Odd herd.   
"Dark Eye?" One of them asked. He assumed this was Littlefoot . . . he'd grown.  
Dark Eye emerged from the rocks. "Littlefoot?"  
"It's me."  
Dark Eye sighed relief. "Good to see you and your friends. Though I had hoped you would come alone."  
"It's okay, they promise not to tell anyone about you."  
"It isn't just that. What I have to tell you is shocking, and sad. It may be best for them to just not hear."  
"Whatever you say to Littlefoot, you say to me too." The three horn said.  
Dark Eye nodded. "Fine. The entire clan is coming. Neckbiter seduced them with tales of an easy life in the great valley. They will be here in two days."  
"You right sharp tooth. Petrie happier not knowing!" The flyer said.  
"Quetzal, One Claw, Leopard and I will try to defend the valley, but . . ." He looked to make sure his companions were asleep. "We wont win." He said sadly. "Littlefoot, your valley will no longer be a safe place. You must close the entrance. With the entrance closed I can get the pack to turn back. Make them think Neckbiter was lying and end it all without loss of life."  
Littlefoot nodded. "I like the plan. But I have to talk to the adults before we can do anything like this. They wont believe me."  
"If you can promise me my safety I can introduce myself."  
"A sharp tooth afraid of leaf eaters?" The three horn asked.  
"No. A single sharp tooth afraid of being trampled to death by hundreds of very large dinner trays." For some reason that prompted a smile from the three horn.  
"I'll talk to them." Littlefoot said.  
Littlefoot was gone for a long time, but eventually his flyer friend Petrie returned.  
"Grown ups laugh. Not believe flat head. But if you come now they listen. And not trample."  
Dark Eye nodded. "Lead the way." He said.  
"You keep up with Petrie?" The flyer asked.  
"I'd be embarrassed if you could fly half as fast as I run." Dark Eye said. And off they went.  
  
Quetzal watched Dark Eye go through half closed eyes. She sighed. She roused her comrades, and told them Dark Eye's plan, which she'd listened to through a feigned sleep.  
"The valley dinosaurs wont ever agree!" Leopard said. "Dark Eye is walking a dangerous path even talking to them, I would wager half of my meat for ten moons that their brains are the size or nuts or small rocks."  
"Regardless what do you think our chances of fighting the entire clan are?"  
"Impossible." One Claw said.  
"I do not see the point." Quetzal said. "We will face our clan in impossible odds. What chance have we got of defeating them? And if the valley dinosaurs don't cooperate then we waste our lives."  
"If they wont cooperate I wont fight." Leopard said.  
"You two do as you will-I will give my life for Dark Eye-yes even if it is only a waste." Leopard said.  
"Is your faith in him so great then?" Quetzal asked. "That you would end your days and cease to be because Dark Eye demands it?"  
Leopard shook his head. "No. Not because he demands it. Because he does not."  
Quetzal shook her head. "I know what I must do. I cannot stay here a moment longer. You two must come with me I am not asking I am commanding."  
  
  
Dark Eye was amazed at the gathering of leaf eaters. At first it'd been only a pair of three horns of different breeds, and a long neck, the only ones willing to listen he expected. Now it was a gathering of dinosaurs so old it made him feel ill.  
These oldsters would have been cut off from their herds and killed anywhere but here. He knew they couldn't leave, he knew they wouldn't leave. If he failed they would die. But why did he care? Something inside him cared. He could not-no would not let things turn so badly. He would not let the feature of his kind be compromised because his nest brother had gone mad with power and hunger.  
"My clan, three score strong is advancing on your valley."  
"How do sharp teeth know where the valley is?" A three horn-the father of Cera asked.  
"Carnivores following herds could hardly miss it. My clan has known of the great valley for some time. Others know of it as well but only I know the location. However . . . Neckbiter, my nest brother has taken control of the clan and has promised them an easy life here."  
There was a round of roars and snorts of anger.  
"Impossible! Sharp teeth are to stupid to enter this valley! They are to stupid to even . . .er . . . talk." An old flyer said.  
"I can talk up a storm, and I have a wide vocabulary of curses if you'd like to call me stupid again." Dark Eye said calmly, almost politely.  
"How long do we have? What do you propose we do and why is it that you are not interested in living in our valley?" Littlefoot's grandpa asked.  
"You have two days." Dark Eye said. Then pointed to a group of children who'd come to see the sharp tooth. "The children." He said. "Look at them. So small. So innocent. They know nothing they come to see what a sharp tooth looks like. I would give them a day to live in the wild if they are so curious." There were some angry roars and stomps. Dark Eye ignored this. "Your oldsters. They would be dead by now in the wild, to old to keep up with herds and to weak to fight off a determined carnivore."  
Now the valley dinosaurs were about ready to smash him. All he did was speak truth but perhaps they thought it was a threat.  
"You see you cannot live anywhere else-your to used to the easy life. You must close the great valley, the entrance must be smashed completely. So that no one can get it you must destroy EVERY entrance."  
"And then how would others get in?" Littlefoot's grandfather asked.  
"They wont. No one, not leaf eaters, not meat eaters." Dark Eye said. "If you keep letting people in you'll be over populated. How many of you actually leave the valley each season?"  
"No one, some wondering herds but never great numbers . . ." Sharp Nose, the other three horn said.  
"Exactly. With no meat eaters in the valley your numbers are increasing soon you'll all die of starvation as the plantlife is smashed by your numbers."  
"Didn't that occur to you when you made the plan to trap us in here?"  
Dark Eye shook his head. "I always think of everything. What ever I miss my brother used to think of." He said-slowly realizing how important Neckbiter had been as an assistant of sorts. "Which means your fighting my other half-if he doesn't see my strategy before it's launched he'll see whatever mistakes I've made and kill me and my comrades. That is why you must close the valley. There is still an exit. The mountains. Through a dangerous trip over razor sharp mountains you can leave, but getting in through there-almost impossible. So once you leave you cannot come back. This is-I think your best chance." Dark Eye sighed. "The truth is that if your entrance is closed I can turn my clan back, convince them that Neckbiter was mistaken." Dark Eye thought for a moment-something was wrong with that-something was very wrong-something he was missing. Neckbiter would have seen it-but he was the enemy now-and chances were-he would still see it-much to Dark Eye's peril.  
  
  
Neckbiter snapped the neck of the opposing pack hunter. Through shier strength, cunning, and sweet words he'd won over two other clans, bringing his clan's numbers to something fearful around seven score. He did not know that Blue Back and his pack followed him. He did not know that Long Jaw also followed and he did not know that such a large number of pack hunters were slowly trampling the path and leaving an easy trail for Blue Back. Such things Dark Eye would think of. Neckbiter saw now that his brother might have made a useful aide or slave.  
To little to late.  
Halla was not with him, yet he did not take another mate. Though he felt having one would be necessary a part of him missed Halla, and the rest of him would only accept Quetzal who had also stayed with Dark Eye. He led his pack to the area of desert that would lead them to the great valley in a day. After that day there would be water and meat, and they could prey upon anything they found on the way.  
"Listen up!" He shouted, his seven captains, each in command of a score copied his words. "Up ahead is pure desert, and the mountains that burn." He wasn't sure about the mountains but he didn't want to sound like he hadn't made this trip before. "No stops along the way, if you get separated your on your own. Captains you are in charge of your scores." Neckbiter turned towards the burning sands. He let out a great roar to tell them to move.  
  
Blue Back and his pack followed, whatever pack hunters strayed from the pack or were to tired to continue they preyed upon. When the pack hunters slaughtered a pair of long necks from a full herd and savaged the carcasses, Blue Back held his clan back and was content to fall upon the remains, he ate first and finished most of the remains, Climber and Talon fought violently over the remains while Short Tail simply ate what was left leaving the two females with nothing.  
Blue Back did not know that Long Jaw was following him, mad with a lust for vengeance he heeded not his hunger and continued down the path following the hundreds of prints made by the pack hunters and the much larger prints made by Blue Back and his herd. The familiar scent of Talon and Short Tail drove his madness to another level. One that few modern men would understand but one that a male lion may feel. The madness of being separated from the pride. Separated from his mate and his infant. And all because Blue Back had beaten him. But not again. Never again would he lose to Blue Back. He would find Blue Back and smash him! He would then force Climber to be his mate as he was sure Blue Back must have forced Talon.  
Soon something would end for him-his life of solitude, or his life as a whole. But whichever ended one thing he was certain to lose was his misery. How then could he turn back on his path?  
  
  
Quetzal, One Claw, and Leopard were gone. Dark Eye had no idea where they were. He stood alone at the still open entrance of the great valley. He smelled the air. The familiar scent of the clan filled his nostrils, but also he smelled the cold fresh morning. His last perhaps. He savored it.  
There was a rustling and he turned around. He saw approaching him two large long necks-not quite yet adults but still large to him.  
"Where are Quetzal and the others?" Littlefoot asked.  
Dark Eye didn't answer.  
"They left didn't they." The female, whom he'd been introduced to as Ali said.  
"Yes." He said. "Can you blame them?" He asked. "What of the valley?"  
"They will not close the entrance." Littlefoot said.  
Dark Eye sighed. "Best to go inside there Littlefoot. Stay with your kind, when my clan comes and I am dead your only safety will be numbers."  
"I wont." Littlefoot said. "You saved my life many seasons ago. Now your going to die to protect the valley. I cannot do much, but the least I can do is protect this valley with you."  
"And me." Ali said.  
"And me." Cera, the three horn said.  
Dark Eye nodded. "Then so be it." He said morosely. He sighed. "Who thought I'd die fighting for something I would have just as easily eaten ten seasons ago." He laughed.  
"What changed you over those ten seasons?" Littlefoot asked.  
Dark Eye closed his blood red eyes. "You." He said. "Ten seasons ago I'd never oppose Neckbiter for the sake of some stupid leaf eaters. I would keep the clan away to keep the balance of things, but I would not fight Neckbiter once beaten. But now . . . ever since I met you I simply cannot let my own nest brother destroy everything. Don't you see? Your valley is becoming overpopulated, and that is your concern. But I cannot let my kind become so. And I cannot let Blue Back rule our valley unopposed." Dark Eye sighed. "Then let them come. The four of us against three score, we may die, but this is what legends are made of."  
"I've always wanted to be in a legend." Sharp Nose said. Dark Eye turned around and saw Sharp Nose, and Cera's father.  
"We wont close the valley. We cannot keep others from the safety of the valley in good conscience." Cera's father said. "But, everything comes with a price, if the price we must pay for our continued safety tomorrow is some danger today-then we'll pay it."  
Inside Dark Eye thought they were all fools, himself included. He let out a roar that would have stopped the heart of a leaf eater had it been his prey. It was answered by roars from his leaf eating comrades.  
"We'll protect this valley, or we'll die trying!" Cera enthused.  
"How heart warming." Leopard said, emerging from the forest several feet away from the valley. "Mind if I join you? I too have always wanted to be part of a legend."  
Dark Eye grinned and Leopard joined the ranks standing on the other side of him.  
"Where did One Claw and Quetzal go?" Dark Eye asked. "Why didn't you stay with them?"  
"Don't worry about them. I couldn't stay safe knowing my sworn brother was in danger."  
"Then we'll face doom together." Dark Eye said.   
"Maybe not." One Claw said, emerging from the same point Leopard had. "After all, miracles can happen."  
Dark Eye's grin became a smile. Leopard roared and Dark Eye and One Claw echoed it with ferocity that would have made Blue Back tremble just a bit.  
Today, their dying day they would die with valor at the defense of those weaker than they. There was no turning back, the scent of the pack was stronger now-even the leaf eaters whose sense of smell was weaker than theirs could smell the advancing hord.  
Dark Eye smelled something else, faint. Something familiar, he didn't know what it was. He also smelled two other clans, Neckbiter must have increased his numbers. Not good.  
There was a rustling and he prepared himself for battle. That's when it happened Quetzal emerged from the trees and bushes, slightly battle scared. She made a screeching roar, which was echoed by unseen voices. She ran to Dark Eye and the valley defenders.  
"I am sorry to be late. I was visiting some friends a day away, I am afraid it took another day to return or I'd have come last night."  
"Who did you visit?" Dark Eye questioned.  
From the forest emerged pack hunters, like but unlike Dark Eye's clan. They were slightly smaller and red with black stripes.  
"I scented this pack when we first came to the valley, I found them in the mountains, one score only, their dogged and have not eaten since yesterday when they fell upon the remains of their old leader." She whispered.  
"What happened to the old leader?" Dark Eye asked.  
Quetzal's chest swelled with pride. "I 'replaced' him." She said. "And two others."  
He grinned.  
"I told them I would let them go back to the mountains and live their miserable lives after the fight today. I . . . do not think they will be much help, but I had to try. I knew the leaf eaters would never seal the valley." She said.  
Dark Eye nodded. "Then . . . let Neckbiter come. If I can I will turn him back without a fight but if it comes to a fight and if we die-I am glad to die with you three-" He corrected himself looking at the five valley dinosaurs. "You eight-by my side." He laughed. He then said "LET THEM COME!"  
  
  
Neckbiter led the tribe through the forest. He looked down at the walls of the great valley. Just as he remembered it. Everyone was going wild with joy. The giant mountains that they knew must surely hide the great valley.  
"Forward!" He shouted.  
The clan kept it's clam pace, emerging from the forest to see a large hole in the mountains. A door of sorts. Standing there were twenty small pack hunters (the ones from LBT 3 by the way) barring the way. Nothing to his seven score. But also, behind them he saw two full grown three horns and one child. He saw two young long necks. He saw three pack hunters he remembered well, Leopard, Quetzal and One Claw.  
And at the front he saw Dark Eye.  
He laughed. "Dark Eye! Beaten but not broken?"  
Dark Eye didn't answer. Neckbiter walked calmly to the front. "And so you intend to stop me? When I am so close?"  
"I wont let you into the valley." Dark Eye said calmly. "Turn around, we can all go home together."  
"You fool! You cling to traditions and the old way of life as if you fear drowning in a sea of progress. Well now the clan is mine-you made your choice back at the lair.  
Dark Eye was silent for a moment, then he said "If you will not turn back I will have to fight you for control of this pack."  
"Look at them! Do you think they will listen to you?"  
"I'll fight anyone who opposes me. That is one tradition that I will cling to."  
"Brother, brother, we must unite. Turn around and look behind you. Leaf eaters, you would die for leaf eaters?"  
"I would." He said. "And as you said-you are not my brother."  
"I said that?" Neckbiter asked, not quite remembering-not truly caring. "Well no matter. Surely the smell of all those leaf eaters is working on your appetite. Surely you want to feel their warm blood trickling down your throat?"  
Dark Eye glared up at him, Neckbiter was close enough to see his deep red eyes, and in them shone a terrible anger. "I wont harm the valley dinosaurs. But I do long to taste warm blood. Perhaps I should satisfy my hunger?"  
"Indeed. Turn and join us." Neckbiter said.  
"Perhaps though, my hunger is not for their blood. Perhaps I hunger for YOURS!" He rushed for Neckbiter.  
Neckbiter met the charge and he and his brother were thrown into a vicious fight. Unbidden his seven captains rushed to his aide and he took the chance to leave.  
He watched as Dark Eye was assaulted by his seven, a comfortable grin came over his face and sat for two seconds. Then he became expressionless as Dark Eye gained control of the situation. Then his face twisted with terror as Dark Eye began to kill each of his captains in turn.  
First was Nats, a newcomer, strong and proud his throat was torn from his neck by Dark Eye's powerful jaws and then his head was snapped backwards by Dark Eye's powerful tail. Then at the same moment another was killed in a similar fashion. Though Dark Eye was getting a few cuts and scratches he was-it seemed in complete control, moving to quickly for the five remaining captains to work well.  
He leapt onto the back of one, and allowed a second to follow him, the two captains fought madly against each other, neither realizing the mistake until the winner stood over his dead foe triumphantly and had his neck snapped by Dark Eye.  
Dark Eye turned on the last three, he tore through one's throat then literally ripped the head off of another. The seventh now stood before him and it was Pytor.  
Dark Eye glared at him, strong and fierce Pytor approached him in a friendly manner, passed him by-though never escaping Dark Eye's gaze, then took a position near Quetzal, One Claw and Leopard.  
Blaine was next to leave the group Neckbiter didn't want to let him, but he was still trying to get over the shock of losing seven captains.  
Blaine left, Claw seemed unsure of weather or not he should follow his brother. He decided to do so and set off, but Neckbiter was on him in a flash.   
"Where do you think your going? Don't you see what's behind them? The Great Valley! As I promised don't throw your life away defending your dinner!"  
Claw rushed back into the ranks. Neckbiter glared at Dark Eye. "Dark Eye!" He shouted. "Prepare yourself!"  
"Neckbiter!" Quetzal shouted, "Turn back now, do not let it come to this!"  
"Ah Quetzal. When this is over-if you still live you and I will lead a happy life in the valley."   
"Your bloody loony!" Quetzal spat. "No one on this side of the field will survive. But don't think that you will walk away without losses."  
"Sweet Quetzal, if you wish to die for a fool's cause then I will grant you a quick death. But if you simply retreat to the sidelines you will be spared. I offer this to any of you-save the leaf eaters."  
Some of the smaller red pack hunters tried to retreat but Quetzal gave a sharp growl that put them back into their places. This caused Neckbiter to respect her all the more.  
"Kill them." He said to the hord, and they rushed in like a hundred ants covering a beetle.  
  
Dark Eye was still scared by the combat, as the hord advanced he thought desperately. "Littlefoot!" He shouted. "Ali, Cera, go into the valley and give warning to everyone, tell them that there is more than three score, tell them that they must at least go into hiding." The children turned and ran.  
"Thank you." Cera's father said. "I didn't want them to see more bloodshed than what you did earlier."  
Dark Eye was silent. "For your lives matteys. For your lives." He said. And then he himself, scared and tired rushed for the enemy willing and ready to die for dinosaurs who would never feel the slightest gratitude for the deed.  
He was surrounded by snapping snarling pack hunters, and he treated them as he treated any rival pack. He destroyed whomever got in his way, the few who cringed and tried to escape he destroyed. To show mercy now would be to show weakness, no one who stood before him was allowed to escape without the help of their comrades. Some of the dinosaurs he fought he knew, and they refused it seemed to fight him or Quetzal or the others. They were all to happy to fall upon the starving red pack hunters, and when Neckbiter gave a roar two of the three score that had charged retreated. Of the dead was Hama, a face Dark Eye knew. Two of the enemy had not retreated, Claw stood next to his brother Blaine who was badly wounded, and the second was Pytor's mate. Dark Eye himself had several scars and wounds, but he ignored them all.  
He glared at Neck Biter, who glared right back. Ten of the red pack hunters were dead, Cera's father had a cracked (but not broken) horn, and Sharp Nose too was gravely wounded.  
Neckbiter roared and another three score-these ones untested in battle, fresh and zealous charged forward, Neckbiter with them.  
  
Neckbiter rushed towards his enemies. He slammed into a red pack hunter and bit it's back, breaking the spine easily he tore into the carcass and made sure it was dead. He turned on another and with a simple swipe of his tail killed it. He did not know-though he guessed-that they were starving. To him they were simply fragile and easy to kill. This gave him confidence in his strength. He came upon ten pack hunters surrounding two on Dark Eye's side. Blaine lied on the ground with blood coming from cuts and a broken leg. Claw stood over his brother viciously defending.  
Neckbiter stepped through the circle. "Go." He said to the ten. "Find some more interesting prey." He turned to Claw. "And you. Traitor times two I see."  
Claw snarled. Then Dark Eye appeared in front of them. "Go to the side Claw, stay there and out of the fight."  
"But Blaine!"  
"Take him-have you no strength? Drag him if you have too." Dark Eye barked. He looked at Neckbiter. "You should go find more interesting prey." He said. "Like perhaps-me."  
"If you insist." Neckbiter said, and he lunged forward, Dark Eye moved quickly but Neckbiter moved just as quickly.  
Onlookers may have seen two titans, slightly larger than the others of their kind, and much more powerful, they both fought violently, neither made progress on the other, and both fighting desperately to keep himself defended while attacking at the same time-something that both were able to do under normal circumstances, but not against their equal.  
And equal they were, neither could gain ground on the other, and the fight was finally ended when Quetzal rammed herself into Dark Eye, throwing him to the side, Neckbiter thought for a split second that Quetzal had turned to his side-however this was proven wrong when a three horn barreled towards him, throwing him into the air. He landed hard and let out a painful yelp of surprise. His hord retreated and he stumbled to the front of them.  
  
Dark Eye looked at his forces. Pytor was missing a hand, his mate was on the ground-Dark Eye did not know if she was dead or alive, the last of the red hunters were dead. More three horns had come out of the valley, Littlefoot too was with the fighting group now. The seven score of Neckbiter was now only one score unused females, and four and a half score scarred bloody warriors.  
There was a score of three horns now, and some thump tails with their armored backs, the valley defenders now numbered one and one half score, large powerful leaf eaters guarding their homes. Dark Eye however saw nothing but dead-his kind-dead. He'd killed some of them, one and a half score lied dead at his feet including the one score of red pack hunters Quetzal had brought. Of those who survived Dark Eye sent to the sides, Pytor, his mate, Claw and Blaine, and three more from his pack that had joined during the last melee.  
Quetzal, Leopard and One Claw refused to go. One Claw's left arm hung limply, Leopard now had scars on his tail to match Quetzal's and Quetzal had a scar going over her eye (like an eyebrow).  
He walked forward, weakened he stood before the remnants of the valley defenders.  
"Neckbiter! As I look around all I see is dead. Our kind dead. You came here to kill the leaf eaters and yet you are sending your own kind to their deaths. If you try another charge you will not escape your final fate. I do not want to see any more of our kind dead, I caution you to turn back and go home!"  
But Neckbiter didn't listen. He was silent for a moment then let out a long roar, and with it the remaining five and a half scores charged upon the remaining dinosaurs.  
Dark Eye was working hard to be everywhere at once, to keep the enemy from getting to Quetzal and Leopard and One Claw. Killing those in front he tried to keep from behind overrun, but it was not possible. The valley dinosaurs were peaceful creatures, and though they looked fierce few of them caused any damage to the skilled hunters.  
Again Dark Eye met with Neckbiter. In the center of the enemy they glared at each other.  
"Neckbiter." Dark Eye spat. "If your name did not suit you so well, I would change it to Sly Tongue."  
"Soon the only name suitable for you will be 'Dead One'." Neckbiter roared. They rushed at each other, this time they would not be interrupted. Dark Eye fought with all of his skill attempting to take Neckbiter down, the valley dinosaurs were slowly being overrun, and some of them were turned over, and killed. This time it seemed the clans would not retreat.  
  
Littlefoot was fighting desperately, he wasn't meant for combat of this sort. His tail flashed like a whip, and he brought his heavy legs down upon any slow enough to be their victim. He had knocked a few opponents aside but he had not killed any yet. Though no thoughts beyond those of fighting held his mind at the moment, later he deiced that it may have been best that he left the battle without a single kill.  
Two three horns were dead, and one thump tail too. Some of the dinosaurs had retreated into the valley. Dark Eye and Neckbiter were dueling, Quetzal was doing her best to hold off five opponents. Leopard and One Claw were trying to be everywhere at once. Littlefoot was getting desperate. He didn't want to think of what might happen if the valley defenders failed. The great valley dinosaurs would suffer severe losses, the old ones would be easy prey for the pack hunters, and after that the infants, then the younger dinosaurs and the primed adults would finally be eaten.  
He didn't want to think of Grandma and Grandpa, they were beyond old, they seemed ancient to him and he knew their chances of survival were slim if the pack hunters managed to get into the valley.  
That's when he heard a roar-familiar to him he knew it well.  
The roar of a T-Rex, a roar he'd heard to often in his life.  
A large T-Rex with a bright blue back rushed into the battle and immediately threw a three horn on it's side and tore into it's stomach. A sight Littlefoot was happier not seeing.  
The pack hunters were in confusion now-some seemed to be in favor of uniting to fight the larger sharp teeth, and others were interested only in the destruction of Dark Eye.  
Two more rushed in, Littlefoot was filled with terror when one of them rushed towards him. Sharp Nose appeared before him and took the assault. His horn penetrated the large sharp tooth's side. The sharp tooth, which had a patch of purple over her eyes, went mad with rage and tore into Sharp Nose' back.  
There were two roars then. One of agony from Sharp Nose, and another from a familiar large green sharp tooth. Long Jaw approached the field of combat. This sent the pack hunters into utter chaos, some fled, and others remained on task. Littlefoot let his tail fly like a whip and hit the female sharp tooth in the eye, she stumbled away from Sharp Nose, and was beset by a dozen pack hunters. She fought most of them off, and was saved by her comrade, a sharp tooth of green and purple like her, with a patch of purple on her nose rather than her eyes. The two male sharp teeth were fighting one another, and the pack hunters. The battle was no longer a battle, it was hellish chaos.  
That's when it happened. Petrie flew overhead, and squawked "All ready now Littlefoot! We close the entrance get inside!"  
The surviving valley defenders rushed in, but Petrie was knocked out of the sky by Zipolote.  
Littlefoot caught Petrie with his long neck, and as Zipolote flew in for another strike he was suddenly snatched out of the air by a flash of tan and brown.  
Quetzal landed, she was scared and battered, but in her jaws was the dead Zipolote, she dropped him to the ground and turned towards Littlefoot. "You heard the flyer, get inside, once the gate is sealed we'll run."  
"Everything has gone wrong for you." Littlefoot said. "Hasn't it. Your clan is being wiped out, the four big sharp teeth-you cant hope to fight them can you?"  
Quetzal didn't answer the question. All she said was "Go." Then she rushed back into the fray.  
It was a free for all and no one seemed the winner. Littlefoot, with Petrie on his back tried to lead Sharp Nose to the valley entrance, however just as they reached it the rockslide closed it. Littlefoot turned and faced the enemy. The valley was gone to him, that part of his life was gone . . . and so his own life might as well have ended there-what was he to do without his family? Die. What else could he do in this hellish fight?  
  
  
Quetzal fought desperately, fighting both rival clan members and the T-Rex family. Littlefoot's words sounding in her ears, she came upon Dark Eye and Neckbiter, still fighting viciously. Didn't the realize that the entire pack had to work together now?  
Of course they did. They simply couldn't let one another go. It was a fight of the most premarital level, their instincts had all but taken control, and blood and fear had clouded their minds. It was up to her. She turned and looked at the situation. The pack hunters had more or less united, unfortunately so had Long Jaw and Blue Back.  
Climber and Talon had retreated, Blue Back and long Jaw fought the remaining pack hunters. Both sides zeal was lower than the ground itself now that both the pack hunters under Neckbiter, and the T-Rex family knew they would not get into the great valley.  
She leapt towards Long Jaw, she landed on his snout and tore into his eyes, but he closed them in time. He threw her off and into the air, and as she came down, he caught her by the tail with powerful jaws. He threw her to the side, and as she hurdled towards the mountainside she knew she'd never survive the landing. She had a second to think about this, and come to terms with it. She'd die-there were so many things she hadn't done-wanted to do and now couldn't. Still a hunter knew that death was part of the never ending cycle of life. Hunters knew this better than most, and Quetzal was a hunter. She embraced death all but willingly, but was saved by a flash of brown and tan, this time not a pack hunter-a neck. A long strong neck.  
  
Dark Eye saw Quetzal thrown towards the rocks, in that second he forgot Neckbiter, Neckbiter forgot him. They looked at the scene and saw the peril that the clan(s) faced. Their rivalries were put on hold for the moment. They rushed into the fight. Dark Eye leapt onto Long Jaw's back and bit at his neck, trying to get through the thick scales on his back.  
He hadn't even noticed the larger meat eater's arrival, but now he would certainly force a retreat from the beast. If not he'd kill the great green titan.  
There was a long sorrowful howl from Climber, and Blue Back retreated, leaving Long Jaw alone to face the wrath of the pack.  
He did not stay long, he retreated himself, running fast to escape. Dark Eye was thrown from his back, and all became black.  
  
  
  
Ten moons had passed, Ali, Cera, Stomp, Cole, Ducky and Spike all waited by the mountain pass that was now the valley's only exit. Hoping Littlefoot might come. The grown ups said it was a waste. But somehow the youngsters were convinced Littlefoot and Petrie had survived.  
And so day and night they waited. Until one day they could wait no longer, and they had decided to go out and search. No sooner had this decision been made then Petrie flew by overhead.  
Following him, was Littlefoot, aiding the wounded Sharp Nose.  
The valley will always remember Littlefoot in this adventure, and how he-braving the deadly, steep, sharp mountain pass found his way once again into the great valley. And he was not the last, once other dinosaurs learned of the pass they too continued their pilgrimage into the valley. Though in fewer numbers now, those that made it seemed to appreciate the valley more, and those who had lived in the valley before had a greater respect for the safety they enjoyed. And, it can also be said that they held a great respect for four sharp teeth, whose names were passed down in stories and legends.  
Dark Eye. Quetzal. One Claw. Leopard. They were known as the four guardian spirits of the entrance to the great valley, and it was said that no dinosaur could enter without their approval.  
Ali and Cole's herd eventually broke up, there was no longer a need to be huddled together as there were no predators. Many dinosaurs left the valley though the pass and Sharp Nose and his clan was among these.  
When he was fully grown Stomp also left the valley in search of his long lost mother, and with him went Cole. Together the two had many adventures in the mysterious beyond.  
Cera grew and led the Three Horned Police of the valley, egg snatchers never had it so hard, not even when her father led.  
Petrie and Ducky and Spike all remember the conflict, and they often explore the walls of the valley in search of any breach, using Petrie's skills as a flyer to see from the sky, Ducky to see underwater holes and Spike used his great strength to seal them. They became known in the great valley as the "Handy Saurs" (Handy men)  
And Littlefoot? He never forgot about his sharp teeth friends, just as he never forgot about Chomper. And he often can be seen standing on the walls of the valley staring out across the great expanse of land, watching for incoming herds, or possible danger. He is considered the valley sentinel, though there is no real need for it-the smell of dead pack hunters many seasons buried, is a smell that keeps any predator far from the valley. To the few who come close enough to see the solitary form of an enormous male long neck on the wall, fear becomes overwhelming and they never return, bringing with them tales of the ghost dinosaur.  
  
  
For Dark Eye it was twenty moons before he and the remaining two scores of his clan returned to their lair. In the seasons to pass Dark Eye and a humbled Neckbiter led the clan together, one always seeing the flaws in the other's plans and working together to correct them soon no one could stand up to them. Rival clans knew well to stay away from the territory of the two brothers, and the clan itself never ventured to invade another's territory. Blue Back and Long Jaw were forced to make peace with each other to face this new threat. However battle for supremacy of the land was over. Neither cared enough, and both were weary of confrontation with the other.  
Dark Eye stood guard over his entire territory, and he did it well. With the lair moved to a high mountain, where a pack hunter could easily come and go as he pleased a two claw would have great difficulty making any advances. Blue Back too had moved his den to a more secure area, and this was the reason that neither clan nor family cared enough about each other to continue their battle for supremacy, save some unexpected skirmishes the two were almost peaceful towards one another.  
Neckbiter was not exactly reformed, he'd simply lost interest in trying to fight Dark Eye now that he saw how effective they were as a team. He no longer desired Quetzal as a mate for several reasons, one of them being that Halla was the only mate he needed, another being that Quetzal made it quite clear, painfully clear you might say, that she hat no interest in him by giving him the gift of three scars on his flank to match hers.  
Quetzal still hunted at the head of the pack, skilled and deadly none save Dark Eye could surpass her, and none save Neckbiter could match her. Her children inherited her feathers, and her great prowess.  
Leopard eventually became Nata's mate, though he claimed he did not enjoy adopting five 'annoying' infants he shows no signs of protest towards them.  
One Claw had been gravely wounded in the battle, and though four seasons later his wounds were healed, and now he hunts with every party he is spending most of his free time in solitude in the forests of the clan's territory, he is Dark Eye's eyes and ears making sure that no other clans enter the thick forests where Dark Eye's sight cannot see.  
And of course the pack has it's legends too. A legend of a mysterious valley where a Long Neck Ghost resides. None enter the valley, for generations after this tale is told, the valley was left untouched by this clan or any others. No one dared go near the rocky mountains. Only the six who invented the legend know it's truth, and so long as the legend protects the valley they intend to tell no one the truth.  
  
As for the red pack hunters from LBT III, they also have a legend-or rather a saying of caution.  
If a brown and tan female pack hunter with feathers on her head comes to contest leadership of the clan-just run away or face great losses. Of course the pack has now only a score of members, old ones, young ones and females to weak to fight when the new alpha demanded it-still their legend spread to other clans of their kind, and without knowing it Quetzal became quite the celebrity.  
  
The End.  
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